Happy New Year
by ChelleLew
Summary: After a messy breakup, Parker decides to attempt so DIY home improvements. After she bumps into the same good-looking stranger several times, he finally manages to learn her name. Once he helps her with a few of her projects, will she learn who the mystery man is? Will this new year be a wonderful new beginning for a new couple or another sad breakup in their romantic histories?


_So it's been a while since I've updated or posted anything new. I have been writing a bit, but wanted to wait until something was completed before putting it out there. The difficulty seems to be in getting it out there with the busy-ness of life. Please accept my apologies for my absence and know that I'll update when things are up to snuff._

* * *

_**PART ONE**_

Parker wiped her hands across her jeans as she dropped this load in the tall rubber can by the curb and turned to head back into the house. "I will be so glad when this is all over" she grumbled. "Some holiday season. Jackass left, Christmas alone, no vacation, now New Year's alone…It's such a **_merry_**, **_happy_**, **_joyous_** time of year. **_NOT_**." Kicking an invisible stone in the driveway as she headed for the steps, Parker let her head droop for a moment before lifting her chin high. _That jackass wasn't going to keep her down. It's his loss._ She raised her hands to her head, holding her ballcap in one hand as she ruffled her hair with the other before mashing the cap back down backwards. "You got this. Chin up, P. Carry on."

Standing inside the living room of the home that they had shared, she blinked her eyes quickly and squared her shoulders. "I've got this" she muttered again, heaving another bag over her shoulder. "Toss the reminders and start the new year fresh." Out she went with another bag full of memories for the garbage. "That recliner goes next. How many hours did he sit there and stare at the television while I…"

* * *

The line at the local pizzeria was long. _Unusual. Wonder why they are so busy? High school game or something?_

"Not a pro sports fan, are you?" Parker turned to look at the handsome man standing behind her. "You're looking confused. There are a lot of pro football games going on this weekend and college bowl games. That means take-out pizza is very popular." She nodded as if she understood what he was saying. "You really don't care, do you?" She shook her head 'no'. He laughed quietly. "Honesty. Very rare." He looked at the workers behind the counter. "All you need to know is that your order will be up shortly. They are working as fast as they can and the food is delicious; completely worth the wait for you and your…husband."

It was Parker's turn to laugh quietly before she snorted. "Subtle. Just me, no significant other and no ball game to watch – thankfully."

The man smiled at her and echoed, "Thankfully."

Parker's name was called. "Nice meeting you." She turned and headed for the counter.

Once she had her dinner and threaded her way to the door, she found the same man waiting for her. "I didn't catch your name" he said, holding the door open for her.

Parker shrugged her shoulders. "Have a great evening. Hope your team wins."

* * *

"My projects always go this way, don't they?" Standing back to look at the mess that was once her living room, Parker put her hands on her hips and sighed. "Another trip to the hardware store, no avoiding it." She wiped the paint splatter from her hands and tapped the lid lightly on the can. "Once this is done, I'm going to love it. I know it."

Twenty minutes later, she was loading supplies in her basket. "Spackle, spackle knife, tape, sander…Might as well get more paint…"

"Do you always talk to yourself?" The familiar male voice was unexpected, causing Parker to jump and nearly drop her basket. A warm hand wrapped around hers, keeping her basket and contents from hitting the floor or spilling. "Woah, didn't mean to startle you." Parker met his smile with one of her own. "Looks like you've got a pretty significant home improvement project going on." She nodded. "You really don't say much, do you?"

"I say what I need to." With another smile, she pulled away and headed for the molding. Intrigued, he asked if she really knew how to cut and install the wood properly. "I'll figure it out. Where there's a will…" She looked at the wood and thought a few seconds before deciding on 8 pieces. Her new friend put them across his cart before following her to the check out.

Reaching her car, he shook his head and made a suggestion. "You really didn't think this through. Your 8-foot molding, eight pieces of 8-foot molding, are not going to fit in this little sedan. I can, however, put them in my sport SUV. Then I can follow you to your house and drop them off. If you'd like some help, I can go pick up my miter saw and be back to give you a hand." Parker's face was blank. He moved around the cart to extend his hand. "I'm Randy."

Shaking the man's hand was only polite. "Parker." Looking into his face she saw the sincerity of his offer. "If you really don't mind…"

"I offered." She nodded her acceptance and gave him her address. "Won't be far behind you."

"This is crazy, letting a strange man into your house." Parker started talking to herself the entire way home. "Yes, he's attractive, but you know nothing about him. I mean, really… He likes pizza and says he has a miter saw. Who IS this guy? Why is he showing up in the most random places? Remember…You just came out of a relationship…Does that really matter? You are single. Not attached to anyone. If he is interested, why not?" Carrying her things inside the house, Parker checked her reflection in the mirror. "And if he finds a paint-smeared face with a backwards ball cap attractive, well, damn."

Several minutes later, Parker heard a holler through her front door. "Is that your recliner next to the trash can?"

"Oh, hey, Randy. Sorta. Well, no. Not exactly. It actually belongs to my ex." She huffed and shrugged before saying, "Short version is he took off with his other girlfriend so I get to clean the stuff he didn't want out of the house. Ass." She looked around the room covered in plastic and painting supplies. "The bright side is now I get to do things the way I want, the way that makes sense to me and on my time frame." Turning to meet his blue-green gaze, she smiled. "By now one of his friends has told him where his precious chair is. He can come claim it. Or the trash man can have it. It really doesn't make a difference to me."

Randy put the molding in the middle of the room carefully. "Not to get in the middle of your business, but was the house yours or something you bought together?"

"Mine. All mine. We were just getting together as I went to closing so he threw in a few dollars to be able to say he helped but everything is in my name. When he took off, I wasn't left in a pinch or anything. I'd bought it, my name is on it, legally it is mine. Any help was just gravy." She shrugged her shoulders again. "If he left something behind, that's his problem. He should've thought about it before… Well, before screwing around." Wanting to change the subject, Parker reached for the earlier-abandoned paint can. "I'm not the most efficient painter or home-makeover expert, but I don't think I'm doing a terrible job."

He chuckled as he looked around. "No, not terrible, but I could suggest a couple of time savers or more efficient methods…if you don't mind a helping hand." He picked up the can of spackle. "May I?"

Parker's eyes widened in surprise. "_Why would such an attractive man want to help me?" _Aloud she said, "If you want to spend your time here helping me, I'm certainly not going to turn you away. I'm sure you have better things to do…"

A small smile crossed Randy's face. "Doing my laundry or help a pretty woman spackle and paint? Such a hard decision…" He waggled his eyebrows before smacking the first splat of spackle onto the wall and smoothing it with the putty knife. Parker watched his confident strokes for a moment before whirling away, picking up a second putty knife, and slapping spackle on another wall. "Sweetie, sweetie…" Warm breath brushed her ear as his larger hand wrapped around her right wrist. "Your form…" He reangled her wrist and added firmness to her stroke. "Always go the same direction." He dipped the putty knife in the spackle and went to work on the next divot, guiding her silently. Dipping the putty knife again, his left hand dropped to her hip, cupping it gently. Wordlessly, Randy sidestepped them both and went to work on another divot. His hands remained on her hip and wrist as they worked, spackle applied and smoothed, sidestep, more spackle, no words spoken. It was as if they knew the first one to speak would break the spell they were working under.

* * *

Parker watched the taillights turn the corner at the end of the street before she locked her front door and turned to survey the everything that had been accomplished. "Unbelievable. Un-be-lieve-able." She shook her head and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest. There's obviously nothing special about _me_. I've been tossed aside often enough…" Tucking her head to her chest, Parker fought the emotions welling up once again. "Crap. I've **got** to get out of this poor, poor pitiful me funk. **I am better than this. I am worthy.**" Squaring her shoulders and holding her head high, she strutted into the living room and began picking up the tools that were left lying on the floor.

With the tools picked up and the spackle dust wiped from the floor, Parker decided it was time for a shower. "Reinvigorate these tired muscles. Clean off the filth. Maybe then I'll find the energy to scrounge up some food…" Dumping her clothes into the hamper, she stood under a spray of water just this side of scalding. The water pounded on her shoulders and neck, releasing the tension that had built up. Without meaning to, her mind wandered. "I wonder if Randy… Oh, Lordy, why is my mind going there?" Her hands lathered soap in a frenzy and scrubbed the dried spackle from her skin. "Keep it clean, P, keep it clean." She tilted her head back under the spray. "You are single. Never asked him if he was." She washed her legs. "No reason to think about showering with an attractive man when you don't know if, goodness gracious, where in the world did that thought come from? Has it been that long that you are that hard up, P? Get your Rabbit out, sheesh!" Rushing through the rest of her shower, Parker dried herself off and quickly dressed in yoga pants and an extra-large t-shirt. She finger-combed her hair on her way to the kitchen. "I know there are leftovers in the fridge or I can do a grilled cheese, spaghetti, linguine…" She opened the refrigerator and took a quick inventory. "Hmmm…"

A knock at the door cut off her musings. Parker opened the door to find a freshly showered Randy holding two bags of take-out. "Do you like Chinese?" Parker's mouth dropped open. "I figured you'd be tired, you worked hard today. Presumptuous, I know. I'm hungry, thought you'd be too, so I ordered extra. If you don't want it I can always put it in my refrigerator, no pressure, you don't have to say yes. I don't expect you to let me in, didn't think this through, did I? You're probably tired and want me to go away. Never mind."

Parker reached out and grabbed Randy's elbow as he turned away from her door. His rambling was endearing, as if he was having the same feelings and needed the same assurances that she did. "I'm starving and would love to have some dinner with you. Come on in." She opened the door wider for him to enter. Once he was inside, she shut and locked the door again. "Let me wipe the kitchen table, just in case dust made it that far." She rushed past him.

"Here's an idea," he said. "If you have a table cloth, just throw it on the floor and we can eat there." Parker raised an eyebrow in his direction. "Or not."

Opening a cabinet, she grabbed a table cloth and flicked it open. "I can be flexible." she muttered. Heading back to the refrigerator, she took stock of beverage choices. "Tea, OJ, bottled water, Gatorade, white or pink moscato wine, a couple bottles of beer…"

She trailed off when one of Randy's hands slid around her waist and came to rest on her stomach. His lips tickled her ear when he spoke. "First of all, I never insinuated that you weren't flexible. Secondly, I was hoping to make this kinda like a first date. Table cloth on the floor, candles, wine… Set a romantic mood. End the night with a goodnight kiss. Maybe tomorrow I could take you out for a second date." Without releasing her hip, he reached into the refrigerator for a bottle of wine. "You've had a real jackass of an ex. I've had some doozies in my past, too." He ducked his head to run his nose along the side of her neck and behind her ear. "There has to be a reason that we've ended up in the same places so many times. I think you feel it, too."

Parker ducked under Randy's arm and headed for a cabinet on the other side of the room. With shaking hands, she retrieved two wine glasses. Still not facing him, she carried them to the table cloth and sat down. Randy joined her with the bottle of wine. Quietly Parker admitted, "I do feel it. I've talked myself into and out of this all day…" Wisely, Randy said nothing. Taking the glasses, he poured half a glass of wine in each goblet and opened the containers of food. Parker blinked up at him shyly. "I have given myself pep-talks about being special enough to catch your eye. I just don't see it, though. Being cheated on and tossed aside, it did something to me, hurt me. I try not to show it but it is taking longer than I'd like to recover."

Randy took a sip of wine before setting his glass to the side and caressing her chin with his thumb. Very quietly he agreed, "Being cheated on does to something to you. It eviscerates you on the inside where no one else can see. It takes a while to get over. Recognize that you **are** strong, you **are** beautiful. I am **very** attracted to you. I am here because I want to be." He let go of her chin and took another drink. Then he picked up his chop sticks and ate a bite of Orange Chicken before feeding her a bite. Parker mimicked his motions, eating a bite of Sweet and Sour Pork before feeding a bite to Randy. They continued, eating and feeding each other General Tso's chicken, Kung Pao pork, and Chao Mein. "You've never eaten on the floor before?" Randy asked.

"New experience." Parker answered. "Where did you learn to eat with chop sticks? You are very good."

"I traveled in Japan for a while."

"Really? What was that like?" Parker asked, her interest truly piqued as she reached for a pink stringy meat she hadn't seen before.

Randy smirked as he watched her expressions. "The people are wonderful. The culture is different from the US and the country is _BEAUTIFUL_." Parker held the chopsticks closer to her face and sniffed. "It's squid in curry sauce." Randy couldn't help but laugh when she dropped the chopsticks back in the container. "It's actually pretty good."

"I'll take your word on that one. And the mushroom foo yong. No mushrooms for me." She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Randy swallowed the food he had in his mouth and set his own chopsticks down. Her wrinkled nose just looked so darned cute. Leaning across the tablecloth, he dropped a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. "Adorable." he muttered. "Just adorable." He sat back up and resumed eating.

Parker folded her hands in her lap. "You are an interesting fella, you know that, Randy?"

"How so?"

"Most guys would be pressing their luck right about now. You admitted that you are attracted to me. I told you I was attracted to you, or struggling with the attraction. You aren't pressing the issue though. You've been patient and helpful and sweet and funny…too damn perfect. What's wrong with you?" The way she said it, so straight-forward and blunt made Randy laugh.

He pushed the take-out containers to the side and pulled Parker into his arms, physically turning her so she was sitting in his lap. Back-to-chest, Randy was able to thread the fingers of both their hands together and rest his chin on her shoulder. "There's nothing 'wrong' with me just like there's nothing 'wrong' with you. You had that jackass cheat on you and you are twice-shy right now. I don't want to scare you away." He breathed out heavily. "I travel a lot with work. It's hard on relationships. My last couple have ended because of infidelity. It sucks. I want to find someone that I can have fun with, who likes to be around me… Hell, who **wants** to be around me, who will understand that sometimes I want to talk and sometimes I want to sit on the floor and eat by candlelight. Not talking, just being together. Finding that woman is hard. When I think that I've found her, you can bet your ass that I'm going to do everything I can not to screw this up." His arms tightened. "I can be helpful and sweet and funny. I'm going to be patient because that means that I have a chance at staying in your life. It's the long-term goal, not a one-night deal."

Parker turned her head to look at Randy. Her whisper brushed his cheek. "Those relationships…the infidelity…you or her…them?"

He looked her in the eye. "I am not a saint. I have messed up plenty of times. When I am in a relationship, I am all-in."

Parker squeezed his fingers. "My eyes are wide open, Randy. I just don't know if I can pick up the pieces again. It hurts too…"

He leaned her back a hair to make full eye contact. "All-in. Already." Parker opened her mouth. "I told you this was our first date. Tomorrow will be our second. No other women. Exclusive. You and me. Done. Finished. That's it." Parker fish-faced again. "I don't want to cause you that pain. Clear and upfront, open communication. Something else I've learned." Parker slid her hand up to caress his cheek. "Yeah, costs me manly points but I've learned the hard way to spit it out so things are smoother on the home-front. That's where it counts anyway." Parker shook her head in amazement. "Better get this cleaned up and get home." She questioned why. "I promised I'd be a gentleman. Dinner and a goodnight kiss. Holding you like this, looking at you in my arms like this…I am very close to saying the hell with it and showing you that I am anything but a gentleman." He pulled her close and nipped her earlobe. "Wouldn't be very gentle, either." Parker reached back and clutched his neck. "Not helping." he muttered, pushing her away.

With the containers quickly stowed in the refrigerator, Randy grasped Parker's hand and walked to the front door. "I'll pick you up tomorrow around 3 for an evening out." She agreed. He backed her against the wall, pinning her hands above her head. "Somewhere public, where I have to behave." His nose trailed from the crown of her head along her cheek to her ear and neck, stopping on her shoulder. "You have no idea…" he muttered. His hands slid under her thighs, lifting her so she had no choice but to wrap herself around his waist. Clinging to him, she held on as he pressed her into the wall and devoured her with his kiss. Just as Parker was ready to beg, Randy set her down and backed away, rubbing a shaky hand over his head. "Three pm, on the dot." Spinning on his heel, he was out the door at a near run.

Parker watched his taillights disappear again, closing the door and leaning against it. "I guess there's no question now – Randy wants me." she said with a small laugh.

* * *

_**PART TWO**_

Waking up the next morning, Parker found herself twisted in her sheets with her hands buried between her legs. "Oh, my!" she moaned. "Maybe I want him a little, too." she giggled to herself. Rolling out of bed, she stripped the sheets before heading to the shower. "All he said was that we'd go somewhere public, no eating in tonight. So, what will I wear?" She rummaged through her closet trying to choose the perfect outfit for their date. "The way he talked, first date – dinner and a kiss, second date – somewhere public, these seem to be significant. I have to look good." She sighed. "Jeans? Khaki's? Organza skirt? I don't know." She bit the knuckle of her forefinger and waited for an idea to pop into her head.

Looking at the clothing explosion that her closet seemed to have vomited across her room, Parker decided that today would be a good day to sort through things that she hadn't worn for a while. "Consignment…Good Will…Good Will…When did I get this?" By 2:00 she had multiple bags stacked and labeled for each location. "Oh, crap! I only have an hour to get ready and still need to choose an outfit!" Parker raced through her shower, applied a light trace of makeup, and teased her short, dark hair. The sound of a car pulling up in front of her house caused panic. "He's early!" She ran to her closet and grabbed an outfit. Pulling it on, she raced down the hall.

Opening the door, Parker was swept into Randy's arms. "You look gorgeous." He pressed a soft kiss against her forehead. "Hope you don't mind that I'm a bit early."

Pushing the door closed behind him, Parker smiled. "I'm almost ready." His hands spanned her waist as his eyes swept her from head to toe. "Let me grab my shoes."

"Breathtaking." he whispered. She shook her head. _How can he not see that I threw myself together on the way to answer the door?_ "In my opinion, you are simply breathtaking. I'm honored and amazed that you are willing to spend the afternoon and evening with me." He kissed the back of her hand. "Now go grab those shoes before I forget what I had planned and we don't make it out of this house." Parker's eyes widened before she raced off to retrieve her sandals. Watching her skirt flounce around her ankles, Randy bit back a groan. "Why did I promise to be a gentleman?" Palming his face, he said, "It will be worth it in the end."

Parker returned with sandals in-hand, sliding her other hand up his chest to finger his open collar. _What the hell? We already admitted we want each other… _She whispered, "It better be. Damn this is…hard." Hearing his sharp intake of breath, she opened the door and stepped outside to sit on the step and fasten her shoes, leaving Randy to lock the door.

He held her hand as they walked to his sporty SUV. "If you don't mind a little ride, we can go to the beach and walk on the boardwalk. There are some nice seafood restaurants there. The docks are a little closer, with their eclectic local businesses. They also offer a wonderful selection of seafood restaurants and steak houses. Or there's this movie that I've been wanting to see – if you are in to the horror genre."

Parker squeezed his fingers. "Nix on the horror. I'm good with action and adventure but can't do horror. Sorry. Otherwise, why don't you surprise me? I'm sure wherever we go will be just fine."

He opened the passenger door and leaned down to speak to her. "We'll work on your movie choices." he promised. "But now I have another idea for tonight." Parker smiled at him as he walked around the hood of the vehicle. He looked so happy.

"Duck pin bowling?" Parker laughed. "You came up with duck pin bowling on the fly?"

Randy smirked. "I have a plan." They went inside, rented shoes, and headed for their assigned lane. "Ladies first." Parker picked up the hand-sized ball and lined up her first shot. "That was pretty good, but you've got a 7-10 split." She picked up her second ball. As she lined up her shot, Randy wrapped his left arm around her waist and cradled her right hand with his. He spoke into her ear, "You need to line this shot up and throw with just the right amount of force. Like this…" He moved with her all the way to the line. Re-racking the pins, he continued to speak directly into her ear. "Practice makes perfect. Let's try that again." Never moving his left arm, they continued to bowl together as one.

Parker turned in his arms, rubbing both index fingers along Randy's collar bone. "I would have never described duck pin bowling as erotic until now." Her murmured words drifted across his skin.

"Our date isn't over." he replied. "Dinner…"

"I don't need a fancy dinner, Randy. I'm not…"

"Shh…" he put a finger over her lips. "Humor me tonight. I want to take my girl out on the town." When she nipped at his finger tip, his eyes half-closed. "Dammit, woman." Tossing the rental shoes on the counter, he half-carried, half-drug her to the SUV. Reaching her door, he groaned a warning, "Parker…" before slamming his lips against hers. She returned his intensity, clinging to his neck for support. "Dinner…a drink, something cold…" He opened her door, picked her up, and set her in her seat. "Control, woman. I will have control."

"Never a doubt." Parker teased in a whisper.

Randy caressed her knee, sliding his hand halfway up her thigh. He growled, "I keep my control. That doesn't mean I'm going to be nice about it." Kissing the side of her neck before backing away, he shut her door firmly and stalked around to the driver's side. Nothing more was said on the short ride to the restaurant. Randy parked in the rear of the parking lot. _I expected him to park near the door. Here we are in the shadows…_ Parker nearly jumped when her door opened, so lost in her thoughts she missed Randy exiting the vehicle. "Love that I can surprise you." Grasping her waist, he almost picked her up out of her seat and set her on the ground at his feet. "The look on your face, the slight parting of your lips…"

"Ever the romantic."

"That's me." he agreed, sliding his arm around her waist and guiding her across the parking lot. Inside the restaurant, Randy gave his name and they were lead to a secluded table off to the side of the main dining area. Once seated, he explained, "I made reservations for a romantic dinner for two. Maybe I asked for some privacy."

Parker shook her head. "I'm not sure how you did it or why you did it but I'm impressed." She folded her napkin in her lap and reached for her glass of water. "It's dawning on me that there's a lot that I don't know about you." She paused before saying, "I have no idea what you do for a living."

Randy shrugged. "Would you like some wine?"

"Avoiding the question?" Parker asked.

"It's not important." he replied, buttering a roll. He offered her half.

Refusing, Parker said, "If you don't want to talk about what you do for a living that raises red flags. You travel out of the country and don't want to talk about it – sounds illegal to me." Folding her hands on the edge of the table, she said, "I'm not sure where the thoughts are coming from, or why they are coming now, but I don't know your last name. I don't know where you live. For that matter, I don't even know your phone number."

Randy sighed and reached for her hand. "Parker, remember what I said last night. I am enjoying time with you, getting to know each other without all the other crap. As soon as I answer your question, things will change and I hate that." He toyed with his phone with his other hand. Parker looked at the concern on Randy's face. "I'm not into anything illegal. I'm not trying to hide anything from you. I really am enjoying your company and dreading the time when that changes." Finding something on his phone, he laid the device face-down on the table.

Parker clutched Randy's hand. "You really think knowing your profession will change my feelings for you?" He met her steady gaze with one of his own. "Either there is something hideous about your career or you think poorly of me. I'm not sure I want to know which it is." She tapped the back of the phone with her free hand.

Randy tilted his head. "Neither. Previous experience has shown that…" He trailed off as her eyebrow raised. "You look like The Rock when you do that."

"The Rock? As in the wrestler-turned-actor Rock? You are saying I look like a 250 pound Samoan man in a Speedo right now?" Her eyebrow raised again. Randy bit back a smile and shook his head.

He slid his phone from under her hand, tapped the screen to refresh it, and laid it on the table in front of her. "So, anyway, that's me. I mean, that's what I do." Parker glanced at the phone, realizing that this was significant. She nodded once and looked back at him. "Kinda know about the whole eyebrow thing first hand, ya know?" Parker squeezed Randy's hand. "That's your career choice and a facet of who you are. Like you said, I'm getting to spend time with the man, not the name. There is a difference. To be fair, you need to let me in on all parts before we get involved though."

"People…Women usually know who I am and chase after me. Being able to spend time with someone who didn't give a damn, who wasn't impressed with that…It's been wonderful. I could just be me, helping someone I found attractive. When do I get to talk about pizza or spackle or molding? When do I get to offer to help a damsel in distress? Never. The time spent with you has been precious." The grip he had on her hand tightened. "Dinner in last night was…"

When he trailed off, Parker finished his thought. "The highlight of the week. The best night is a long time. A memory to cling to on dark, lonely nights in the future."

Clutching her hand in his, Randy spoke. "Not many women I've met would have been satisfied with that meal. No up-scale wine and dining, just two people sitting on the floor, eating and talking." The serious look on Randy's face was drew Parker in. He continued, "I've been looking for my other half, the woman who could handle me and what I want in life - which isn't the fast lane. Not anymore." Grabbing her other hand, Randy seemed to be holding on to a lifeline. "I know I'm moving fast. But I need you to realize that I…"

"You feel an attraction and feel a time crunch. It's The Season." She nodded at his phone. Randy began to shake his head. "Randy, the headline you showed me. It was about the biggest show of your year, wasn't it? One that's coming up? There's no way that I'm going to pop up out of the blue at that thing. That's crazy." He seemed to deflate in front of her eyes." She pulled on his hands. "We've known each other for a couple of days. Let's figure this out before we start strutting around in public."

"Strutting around in public?" he repeated. "I don't strut."

Parker raised her eyebrow again and gestured to the picture. "Um…"

Randy smiled. "Point. Yes, you have a point. But that is in-character. I don't strut. My character does. There is a difference." Parker laughed. "Hey, you said that you could tell the difference. Why are you laughing now?"

Patting his hand, she said, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I'm sorry, baby."

Randy began to sputter. "B-b-baby?" This sent Parker into another fit of giggles. Randy couldn't help but smile even more widely at her humor. "I'll have you know, I'm all man, sweetheart. All…man."

Parker's giggles began to fade as she said, "Not a doubt in my mind…baby." She hid her smile behind her glass of water, unintentionally magnifying her upturned lips. Realizing his eyes were lasered in on her mouth, Parker licked her lips. "Do I have crumbs?" Randy reached across the table to caress her cheek. "Um…"

"No crumbs, Beautiful. No crumbs." His thumb brushed her bottom lip. "You are a very distracting woman." Randy dropped his hand as the waitress approached. "I'd like a-" They placed their orders before reaching across the table for the other's hand. "You are beautiful." he murmured. Parker blushed at his compliment. "I'd love to have you in my corner over the next few months, but I also want to keep you hidden so no one can steal you away from me."

With a small sigh Parker whispered, "No danger of that." Randy swallowed hard before reaching for a roll. Holding it out to her, he bit his bottom lip as she nibbled on the bread. "You really have no idea, do you?" A half-shrug was her response. Seeing Randy staring at her gave Parker the courage she needed to slide her foot out of her sandal and up Randy's leg. When her toes flexed against his knee, she watched his Adam's apple bob furiously. She wiggled her foot a moment more before starting to slide it back.

Randy's hand wrapped around her ankle. "You started this." he growled. He held her foot between his thighs, caressing her ankle with his long fingers. "You wanted to play this game."

"Nn-o gg-ame." she stuttered. "Th-th-things were s-s-so tense."

"That they were. And now they are a different kind of…tense." he agreed, sliding his fingers up her calf.

"Wh-Why are you playing this game in public, Randy?" Parker sighed and let her eyes drift closed.

"Don't close your eyes. And you started this." Randy growled.

"I only touched your knee." she said breathily, keeping her eyes closed.

"Open. Your. Eyes." Randy ordered. Slowly Parker opened her eyes. Randy's nostrils were flaring as he huffed air in and out. "You have no idea, do you?" he repeated. Parker raised her eyebrow. His fingers caressed the bottom of her foot, massaging the sole with tender care. "You have such an expressive face. As you close your eyes, with each breath…I can see what it would be like…It's very hard not to reach over the table and pull you…" Parker flexed her foot. Randy flagged the waiter. "Box our dinners." Parker pulled her foot free from his grasp. Randy folded his arms on the table. Now he looked every bit of the predator that he was known to be in the ring. "Parker, Parker, Parker. Sweetheart, you are just prolonging this…" Wordlessly, Parker sipped her water and toyed with the neckline of her blouse. She looked at the picture on the wall and smiled. She took another sip and trailed her finger across the edge of her ear and down her neck. Then she bit her bottom lip. She rolled her shoulders and lolled her head from side to side. A muffled curse brought a tiny smile to her face. "You like this, do you? Playing this fore-play game?" Randy leaned forward, his shoulders aligned with his elbows. "Be forewarned, sweetheart, you are going to pay for this. Dearly…"

A whispered "Promise?" flared his nostrils and drew his lips into a tense line. He began to move when the waiter arrived with their meals.

Whipping out his wallet, he handed the other man several bills and reached for Parker. "I'll be back with your change."

"Keep it." Randy growled.

"But sir, this is almost double you bill."

"Keep it." Randy growled again, clutching Parker's hand in his and snatching the boxes with his other.

Parker smiled at the waiter. "Thank you for your excellent service." She was whisked towards the front door.

Randy's long strides ate up the distance to the SUV in the back of the parking lot. Setting the food containers on the roof, Randy backed Parker against the passenger door with his body while his hands caressed the sides of her neck. "Parker…" His mouth closed over hers, his tongue forcing its way into her mouth. Time froze as he thrust and retreated only to return with unparalleled vigor. Parker's head fell back against the window as she began to pant. Randy's lips trailed down her neck, following the path she had traced moments before. Her fingers clawed at his shoulders. Parker's mouth hung open as her skirt bunched around her waist. Her underwear was pushed to one side as Randy slid two fingers inside. Her body clutched at his invasion. He rested his forehead against hers, staring into her eyes as he played her body like a fiddle. She bucked against him as her eyes drifted closed. "Eyes…open…" His thumb rubbed her clit, sending her over the edge. Biting both of her lips, she tried to stifle her scream. Randy's eyes seemed to glow as he slowed his movements. Pulling his fingers free, he brought them to his face. "Next time…next time you will scream my name." He inhaled her scent before capturing her mouth in another kiss full of promise. "Get in the car." he ordered gruffly. Murmuring his name, Parker kissed his cheek before reaching for the door handle. Randy held the door for her, staring at her with hungry eyes. He handed her the food before slamming the door as stalking to the driver's side. Once in the car, he held the steering wheel with both hands. "When we get to your house, **_if_** we make it that far, you'd better be ready. I want you hard and fast. Then I want to take you nice and slow. Be ready, Parker. Be ready." He threw the car into gear and sped away from the restaurant. Parker was silent in the passenger seat, turned-on by his words. The ride home was flying by, much shorter than the drive to dinner.

* * *

_**PART THREE**_

As the car turned onto her street, Parker gasped. The recliner that had been on the street was now in the back of a pick-up truck. Her ex was leaning against the side, glaring as they approached. Randy parked in her driveway as the other man stalked across the yard. "What in the hell were you thinking? You weren't, you bitch! You have no right to toss my things, **_my belongings_**, out on the street. My God, I am so lucky to be free of a worthless bitch like you!" His shouts filled the air. "Who the hell wants to stay with a useless hag like you?!"

Randy slammed his door. "I want her." Parker sank back in her seat at the venom in his voice. "She's mine. You will leave her alone or you'll answer to me, fucktard." His arms were crossed over his chest, making his biceps flex impressively.

Shouted laughter erupted from her ex. "Who the hell are **_you_**? Why the hell should I worry about YOU?" He advanced towards Randy.

Dropping his fists to his side, Randy growled, "Stay the hell away from Parker." When the other man continued to advance, Randy shook his head. "My woman. MINE." His fist flew into the face of the idiotic man who was now in striking distance.

Parker jumped out of the vehicle, shouting, "Stop! Just stop!" She rounded the front of the car as Randy landed his fourth punch. Her ex wobbled before falling to the ground. Reaching Randy's side, Parker wrapped one arm around his waist and pressed her other to his chest. "Get out of here!" she shouted at the man lying supine in her yard.

He lurched to his feet as the dark night was cut by blue flashing lights. "Break it up!"

"That sonofabitch assaulted me!" Her ex turned towards Randy and Parker as he shouted at the police officer.

Parker looked past Randy and spoke to the man in blue. "My house. My boyfriend. My ex isn't welcome."

"BOYFRIEND! How the hell can YOU have a BOYFRIEND?"

As he took a step towards them, fists clenched, the officer warned, "Step back." He repeated, "Step back." His final warning was ominous. "Stop or you WILL be tased." Failing to heed the warning, Parker's ex was zapped with a current of electricity that sent him back to the ground. Once he stopped flopping around, the officer rolled him to his stomach and cuffed him. "Ma'am…"

"She will press charges." Randy interrupted. "She also wants a restraining order."

The officer looked from Randy's irate face to Parker's. Looking from Randy's face to the waiting officer's, Parker agreed. "I will press charges. I want a restraining order."

"YOU BITCH!"

The officer yanked her ex to his feet by one elbow. "You'll need to come to the station for the paperwork and you'll need to see the court commissioner for the restraining order. It's going to take a few hours, but it will be worth it."

Randy curled his arm around her waist and said, "We're right behind you."

* * *

In the early morning hours of the next day, Randy opened the door of his SUV for Parker. "I guess we can throw this dinner away." She picked up the boxes from the passenger floor. "Doubt we want to eat them now." Randy wrinkled his nose as he took the boxes to a nearby trashcan.

Returning to the open door, he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "We'll find something open. It might be fast food, but we'll find something." He closed the door and headed to the driver's side. Settling in, he took her hand and held it against his thigh. "It sounds condescending to say I am proud of you, but I am. You did good, holding yourself together in what had to be a difficult situation." He gave her hand a squeeze. "This wasn't what either of us had in mind for tonight, but I am very thankful that I was here. If you had gone through this alone…" He groaned.

She quietly agreed. "I am thankful you were here." Her head laid back and her eyes closed. "I hate feeling weak."

Driving with one hand, Randy spoke with a growl. "You are anything but weak. It's normal to feel that way, I know I have, but you are a survivor. That bastard wants you to feel weak. He wants you to feel like you need him. You don't. You are just fine on your own." He paused and added, "But I really hope you want to keep me around."

Parker coughed on a tear. "Like I'd let you go."

Stopping short of the drive-through window, Randy touched her wet cheek. "Sweet heart, I'm not letting you go. And I'm not letting that asshole tear you apart any more. No more tears. Just lean on me…trust me…" He squeezed her hand again before pulling up and ordering food. Then they drove to Parker's in silence. Randy carried the food into the house, setting it on the table before turning to her and caressing her cheeks. Gazing into her eyes, he kissed the tip of her nose and murmured, "We get through the muck and the mire together. I got you. Promise." He sat on a chair and pulled her into his lap.

Parker wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. "It's almost too good to be true. You're so…perfect." Randy snorted. "What? You say the right things. You do the right things. You are wonderful."

He snorted again. "Remember that. In fact, write that down, date and sign it. 'Randy is too good to be true. Randy is perfect.' You'll want to remember that YOU said it. I'll want to remind you that YOU said it." He chuckled through a mouth full of food. Taking a few fries, he waited until she opened her mouth to speak and stuffed them in her mouth. "I'm far, _far_ from perfect, Parker. I screw up a lot." He took another bite and continued talking with his mouth full of food. "I have a temper. I talk, no, I yell before I think. I ACT before I think. Hell, I punched that asshole before I thought about the consequences tonight." He swallowed his food and looked her in the eye. "What I do know is what I told you last night. I am all-in. I want this relationship to work. I'm not perfect. I'm going to mess up." He gripped her hip with one hand and her knee with the other. "I'll sleep through the time we set to call. I'll be moody and short-tempered when I do call because I'm mad about something at work. I'll be irritable when time is short here, because I don't want to go back on the road." His hands slid up to her neck. "I'm nowhere near perfect, Parker. What I am is determined to be the best man I can be for you." Her arms entwined around his neck as her face buried in his chest. Tears streamed down her face, again. "We're done eating." he muttered, sitting her on the chair and scooping the remainder of the fast food. Tossing it in the trash, he stalked back and caught her up in his arms.

Without looking away, he walked through the first floor and up the stairs to her bedroom. Once on her feet, Parker placed both hands on his chest for balance as she murmured his name. "Shhh. It's late. We need some sleep. It's been a rough night." Randy's voice drifted over the crown of her head. Closing her eyes, Parker let her fingers toy with the buttons on his shirt. First one slid out. Then another. Then another. Finally the shirt was hanging open. His chest was exposed. A tiny step forward and Parker could brush her lips across the center of his chest. "Uh uh. We're going to sleep." Randy gruffly muttered as he grasped the sides of her head. Parker blinked up at him slowly. "Dammit, I am trying to do the right thing, here."

"But the wrong thing is so much fun." Parker whined, her fingers pulling the button of his pants open.

"Parker…" he warned. Her fingers closed around his length. One stroke was all she was able to manage.

Randy shoved her hands away. As a Parker stumbled back, he grabbed the bottom of her shirt and yanked it up over her head, happy to hear seams ripping as it went sailing to the floor. He grabbed the back of her bra, one hand on either side of the fasteners, and pulled. The hook-and-eye closers gave way easily. As the material sagged in front, Parker's arms crossed to hold it in place. "Let it fall." Randy growled. "I want to see you." Parker's eyes met his. Randy stared at her breasts. His nostrils flared. He was licking his lips. The man looked…hungry. Slowly her arms lowered, dropping the ruined material to the floor. Randy seemed to drool. "Perfection." he whispered. His hands seemed to raise of their own accord. Her breasts fit into his palms perfectly, and his hands weren't small. His thumbs rubbed over her nipples with extreme care. Parker rocked forward. Randy bent down as he leaned her backwards, holding her in position so he could suckle and torment. Her hand clutched the back of his head as she chanted his name. Suddenly releasing her, Randy grabbed the waistband of her skirt and shoved it towards the floor. Her panties went along with it and Parker fell back on the bed. As Randy leaned over her body, his shirt joined her clothes. "Parker…" His lips teased her inner thigh. He inhaled her scent. "Parker…" he groaned as he shucked his pants. Grasping her hips to hold her still he looked into her eyes. Intense. Possessive. Domineering. Passionate. Parker understood that Randy wanted…No, Randy needed her. She bit her bottom lip, grasped his wrists and nodded. His tip was at her opening. He was just inside. He pulled back. He slid inside. He pulled back, never looking away from her eyes. Parker blinked. Randy slid inside. _All the way inside._ Parker bowed off the bed. Randy fisted his hands by her shoulders, his head thrown back. Parker howled. Randy pulled back and thrust forward, harder. Parker screamed his name, clenching around him. Randy bowed his back, roaring her name as he came.

* * *

The brush of a warm, large, muscular thigh against her newly-tender folds roused Parker. Blinking in confusion at the warm feeling cocooning her entire body, she turned her head to look over her shoulder at the bristled chin rubbing against the top of her spine. The heavily-tattooed arm that was carelessly flung across her waist tightened as the thigh moved again. "Mornin.'" His gravelly voice greeted before he opened his blue-green eyes and smiled. Parker blinked slowly as she turned her face to rub her cheek against the bicep her head was resting upon. Feeling the muscles flex, she couldn't help but press a short line of kisses along her former pillow. Lips touched the base of her neck, tracing a line towards her ear. Capturing the outer shell in a teasing nibble, he growled, "Temptress." A soft giggle escaped before Parker relaxed her head against his shoulder. His left hand shifted to cup her breast, lightly pinching and tweaking her nipple. "You feel so good in my hand. Warm, full…responsive." He nipped her ear between his words. His right hand slid lower, moving between her thighs and his. As his long fingers first teased her clit, she shifted and sighed. "Can't be a better way to wake up." He sucked on her earlobe as he strummed her clit harder. Parker's hands began to clutch at his wrists as mews fell from her lips with increasing frequency. Her hips started to move in rhythm, rubbing against his rigid morning wood. Shifting slightly, Randy removed his thigh and slid his cock against her. Feeling his aroused staff _right there_, his fingers playing her clit, and his final tug on her nipple had her begging. "_Please! Ran-dy…please!"_ She tried to reach down for him, to guide him home. "Nuh-uh. Sweet pea, that's **my** gift to give." Randy nipped at her shoulder as he shifted from his position behind her to dropping her on her back and hovering over her, kneeling between her thighs with his fists planted at her shoulders. "Beg and plead all you want, **I** am in control." Parker wrapped her hands around his head as he dipped down to suckle at her breast. Canting her head back, Parker panted as she felt herself on the verge of climax. Each draw from his mouth kept her on the edge, but not letting her get the release she so desperately needed. _How can he deny himself? How can he have this much stamina?_ She wrapped her legs around his waist, but couldn't pull him close enough. He continued his torment, letting his length touch her briefly but never near enough. "Randy…" she moaned, throwing one fist over her head and accidentally knocking his arm. As he momentarily lost balance, Parker shoved him onto his back and straddled his waist. Smirking, Randy taunted, "Now what are you going to…" Before he could finish his question, Parker had grasped his shoulders for balance and slid down on his turgid cock. Her body bowed in ecstasy, she began to tremble and hum. "Parker…Baby…Parker…" He grasped her hips in preparation to help her move. She clutched his forearms and finally focused on his face, lasering in on his eyes. "Parker. Fuck." Raising her body, Parker began to work her body against his, hard and fast. Digging his hands and heels into the mattress, Randy lifted them both off the bed, supporting them both while meeting her thrusts. "Please, Randy…" Parker whimpered once more. In a flash, she was on her back with Randy buried to the hilt. "Let go…Explode for me…Parker…" Randy bent his head once more, sucking on her breast as he slammed their hips together. When she screamed his name, he bucked and bowed back, growling hers as he exploded inside her harder than he'd ever come before.

Nearly collapsing on top of Parker, Randy muttered, "Tell me if I'm crushing you."

Tossing a hand to rest on the back of his head, she smiled, "I'm good. Really, really good."

He chuckled. Rolling onto his back, he pulled her along so they didn't have to separate. "This is a good morning," he said as he traced a finger along the side of her face. She smiled in agreement. "I don't want to ruin it, but I have to get ready for work later on today."

Parker nodded. "After our conversation last night, I figured you would have some work coming up. You've been home for a few days now." Randy raised an eyebrow. "You expected drama? Begging you to stay?" She wiggled on his chest a bit before tapping his nose with her forefinger. "Remember who you are talking to, mister. I am the one and only." While he captured her finger and pretended to bite at it, Parker pressed a kiss to Randy's chest. "Randy, I'm not saying that there won't be times that I say I wish you were home longer – because I'll always want more time with you – I'm just going to try to be aware that being away will be hard on both of us. Whining about it will make it worse. Enjoying the time we have is beneficial for both of us."

"I really don't know how I got so lucky and found you, but I'm damn sure not letting you go." Randy swore. Sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he carried Parker to the bathroom slung over his shoulder. Sliding her down his body, he turned on the water in the shower and turned to face her again. "I swear, Parker, this is going to work out. You and me. We are going to figure out the whole relationship thing and it's going to be awesome." He tilted his head back and groaned. "I sound like The Miz."

Parker asked, "Who?"

Pulling her under the water, Randy explained, "I forgot that you haven't watched wresting in a while. You're going to have to catch up, my dear."

Reaching for the soap and washcloth, Parker shook her head. "How about a counter-offer? I'll DVR whatever you are on and watch it with you." She began caressing his lower abdomen with the sudsy washcloth. "You can tell me all the moves and characters, who is important, how great you are…" Her hand slid between his legs and along his length. "I can see if you still wear that tiny leather suit you used to wear years ago with all that baby oil…"

Randy's fingers wrapped around Parker's wrist. His mouth was level with her ear when he growled, "You like playing with vipers, don't you?" Dropping his mouth to the juncture of her neck and shoulder, he began to nip and suck on the sensitive skin. Parker wrapped her arms around him as he lifted her off her feet and pressed her against the shower wall. Their bodies easily slid together, molding as one. Primed from her earlier climax, Parker quickly peaked. Her head lolled back and her eyes glazed over as she silently screamed her ecstasy. Seeing her peak, feeling her climax sent Randy soaring over the edge as well.

* * *

Parker looked in the foggy mirror, smiling to herself at the sight they made together. Randy's six-foot five-inch frame towered over her five-foot five-inches, even as he bent to kiss the top of her head. She glanced down to her shoulder, where his hands had come to rest next to the love bite he had made in the shower. _Damn if it didn't look almost like a viper's mark._ Her gaze raised to meet his smirk. "Part of me wants to apologize for getting carried away; for marring your beautiful, delicate skin." His hands slid down her arms, interlocking their fingers as he wrapped their arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, constantly maintaining eye contact. "I'm going to be gone for the next four days. I want you to know that this is real, we are real." He kissed her neck, still staring into her eyes through the mirror. "I'm coming back to you, for you." Parker swallowed and sighed, "For us."

* * *

_**PART FOUR**_

Standing in the middle of her living room once again, Parker put her hands on her hips and sighed. "De-ja-vu anyone?" The room was a mess and spackle spots decorated the walls. "You have a well-thought-out plan now. Randy showed you the right way to spackle. The walls will look phe-nom-in-al when you are finished. Stop mope-ing about the man that just left and get to work. Damn, woman!" Blinking back the tears, she scooped up a wood block and a piece of sand paper and began to attack the first spackle spot.

* * *

With the walls spackled, sanded, re-spackled, re-sanded, and wiped with a damp cloth to remove the dust, Parker stood back to survey the room. "Not half bad. Ugly, but not a bad day's work. Ready for paint." She gave herself a thumbs-up and grabbed the step ladder lying on the floor. "No time like the present, eh?" She opened one can of paint and put some in a smaller container. Grabbing the brush and can, she climbed a few steps up the ladder and began edging the room. "None on the ceiling, P. You just painted that. Careful, careful…" Close but not touching the ceiling, along the doorframes and window frames, and then she could get off the ladder and edge along the molding near the floor. "You've got this, P. Of course, you are also talking to yourself. Nothing at all to be concerned about." She climbed down the ladder to move it into the corner of the room. Just as she maneuvered herself onto the top of the ladder, ready to paint the corner, her phone rang. Pulling it from her back pocket, she held it to her ear with one hand as she painted with the other. "Hello?"

"Hey, sweet pea." Randy's voice rumbled in her ear.

"Dammit!"

Randy laughed. "That's not the greeting I expected."

"I just streaked"

"WHAT! And I missed it?!"

Parker shook her head as she put the paint brush across the paint can, climbed down the ladder carefully, and retrieved her wet rag. Climbing back up the ladder, she slowly and methodically wiped the streak of wet paint from the ceiling. "You silly goose, I streaked paint on the ceiling. It's gone now. Easy fix."

"You are painting without me?" Randy sounded let down.

Parker climbed down the ladder and headed for the kitchen to rinse out the rag. "Hon, you are working. So am I. There will be plenty for you to do when you are home. It's not all going to wait for you." Wringing out the rag, Parker paused. "Randy?" She didn't hear anything. "Randy, did I say something wrong?"

He cleared his throat. "No, sweet pea. Not at all. You said everything right. Just let me know what needs to be done when I get **_home_**." His emphasis on the last word was emphatic.

It hit her like a ton of bricks. With everything that they had done, as fast as they were moving, Randy had given her everything. He had given her space when she'd needed it. He'd given her romance, spicy sex, made love to her, and he'd given her the words. He'd told her he was "all in". He'd said that they were exclusive, just the two of them. He'd said that he had left her with his "mark" so she had something to look at to know this was real and that he was coming back. She had that security. _He is hearing that I am going on with my life the way it was before him. As if he was never here. As if our time together didn't happen. I gave him…but never the…_Tears welled in her eyes and silently slid down her cheeks. "Randy, baby, hear me." She swallowed hard as the tears threatened to choke her. "I promised you that I wasn't going to make our time apart more difficult by being the clingy, whiny woman. I'm not going to go back on that promise now." She swallowed again and straightened her shoulders. "Yes, I am painting the living room, continuing the project we were working on together. I want you to be proud when you come **_home _**of what I've done, what I've accomplished because I used what **_you _**taught me about spackling to finish it. I thought about you all day. You have been a part of it, even though you weren't here." She drew in a deep breath, held it, and let it out. "Remember how we met again at the home improvement store and you made fun of me for buying molding without thinking about how to get it home? You brought your miter saw here to cut it but we haven't used it. I haven't a clue about that thing. My goal is to have the room ready, the molding ready for you to cut when you get home. If all goes according to plan, that should be the finishing touch." She paused to wipe her cheeks and blow her nose. "When you leave again, that room should be finished. The next time you come return, there should be one room not in complete disarray. Something that we created together. **_Home_**."

Randy cleared his throat again. "I like the sound of that."

"Isn't that what 'all in' means?" Parker asked softly.

A low curse filled the line. "Woman, you can't say things like that when I am this far away from you." Another low curse was followed by a groan. "If I was there…If I was **_home_**, you would be up against that spackled wall screaming my name right now. I'd be **_all in _**you."

"As soon as you get home." Parker whispered. "On the freshly painted wall."

Randy cursed again. "Sweet pea, you are perfect for me." He cursed again. "I can't get into the ring like this. I gotta go take care of something in the bathroom. Dammit, woman!" He groaned as he disconnected the call. Parker looked at her phone and smiled.

* * *

Arranging her pillows carefully on the floor, Parker anxiously checked the guide once more. _I hope I have the right channel. _She curled around the largest of the pillows. Loud music pounded from the television speakers as lights flashed and video snippets flew across the screen interspersed with pictures of people she didn't recognize…except one. _I saw him! Damn, he looks ferocious. _She bit the tip of her thumb.

For the next three hours, Parker lay in the floor, staring at the television. _How do they not get hurt? Those punches…Jumping on top of each other…Leaping off of the metal pole thingies…Kicking each other in the face…Dropping each other on their heads…Someone has to get hurt. Good Lord, this is violent!_ She didn't move, even though her bladder was begging her to make a quick run for relief. She didn't dare risk it. She didn't want to miss seeing Randy. Three hours later, the show went off the air without a second of Randy in the ring. Disappointed, Parker raced to the bathroom before returning to turn off the television and pick up her pillows. _Where is he? Why wasn't he on the show? Is he hurt? _She trudged up the stairs, brushed her teeth, and laid down. Staring at her ceiling, she worried.

Her eyes closed. Visions of a beaten and bloody Randy filled her mind. Before she could begin to cry, her phone rang. "Are you okay? Where are you?"

A confused Randy responded, "I just finished with the show and got into the car, headed to the hotel."

"But I watched the show and you weren't on it." Parker cried.

Randy tried not to laugh, remembering that his girlfriend knew nothing about his career. "Sweet pea, the show that was televised tonight, that's not the show I'm on. I was in a different city. There's a whole bunch of us. The other half of us will be on t.v. tomorrow night."

"There's MORE?" Parker shrieked. "I've got to watch MORE?"

Randy drew in a breath, still trying not to laugh. "Hon, there are a lot of us. And the fact that you watched Raw tonight means the world to me. I know you don't know anything about this. It was probably confusing and overwhelming."

"You can say that again" she muttered.

Randy repeated, "It was confusing and overwhelming."

"Oh, you…" Parker muttered before a smile began to pull at the sides of her mouth. "Smartass."

Quietly Randy said, "It does mean a lot to me that you watched. I know this is something you don't know about or understand. To try and learn…Thank you, Parker."

"All in" she whispered.

"Tell you what" he said. "How about you DVR the show tomorrow and we watch it together. That way I can explain to you what's going on and who people are. It should be less confusing that way."

Parker curled around her pillow. "I saw you in the opening credits tonight. You looked fierce…sexy…mmmm."

"Parkerrrr…" Randy's warning tone was low and gravely. "Don't start something that I'll have to finish." She shrugged as she laughed. "I'm leaving after the show so you really don't want to test me. I'll be on you right inside your door."

She could tell he was serious. "I'll watch tomorrow night so I'll be ready." She attempted a seductive tone, feeling foolish as she said, "Primed and ready for the Viper to strike…"

The sound of a hand slapping a steering wheel or dashboard came through the phone line. "Dammit, woman! You are too damn good at this!" Randy swore. Parker laid back in bed and listened to him rant. "When I get home you'd better be laid out like a freakin' buffet. Just laid out on the floor…table…bed…I don't fuckin' care. Just be laid out and ready for me. Doesn't matter when I walk through that door, I'm coming for you, you hear me?" Parker giggled. "I'm not kidding, woman! I'm going to fuck you until neither of us can walk."

Clutching her chest at his words, Parker murmured her response. "Promise?"

"That's a guaran-damn-tee."

* * *

Tuesday seemed interminably long, stretching on and on; never-ending. Parker tidied the house and went to the grocery store. Finally she was able to sprawl on the floor in front of the television again, ready to watch wrestling for the second night in a row. As the opening credits flashed on the screen, her phone rang. "Let me guess, you are watching even though I told you to DVR the show." Randy chuckled in her ear.

"Tonight I can watch you" she said softly.

"Ah, so sweet." Parker thought she could hear Randy shifting in a chair. "I guess we'll watch together, until I have to get ready for my part." She sighed in his ear. "None of that, sweet pea. We're talking about wrestling tonight. Just the finer points of the show." Once the initial talking was over, Randy explained who the first competitors were and their backstory. Then he explained the general techniques of moving in the ring; how they prepare a general map of the match, requisite moves, and calling match points to each other. He pointed out the ref telling one of the wrestlers a message from backstage. Parker was amazed as he let her in on the secrets of his craft.

"I knew a lot went into what you did. I didn't realize just how intricate it actually was…All of the pieces and parts have to move together so seamlessly." She murmured softly, whether to herself or to him neither was sure.

For a few moments there was silence. Her words hung in the air, unanswered. No wrestler wanted to acknowledge the danger in their profession. A wrong move, by themselves or someone else, meant the end of their career, livelihood, and possibly their life. It wasn't something to focus on just before a match. It wasn't something that they liked to talk about at all. It wasn't something that they wanted their families and loved ones to worry about. It had been the death knell of more than one relationship. The glitz and glamor that drew people in initially faded as injuries occurred, bringing a dose of reality. Neither Randy or Parker wanted to address the possibility as he prepared to set foot in the ring before her eyes. He cleared his throat. "I have to warm up."

"Wait," she whispered. Closing her eyes, she pinched her nose and waited for the right words to magically appear. The mood was so serious. She knew he needed to be in the right frame of mind, and it was her fault things had gotten off-kilter. "I'm so glad we've been together for the last few hours. Letting me in means a lot. All-in, Randy." He started to interrupt. "It you interrupt me, I'll lock the door and not let you in tonight."

"You wouldn't dare." He growled at her.

She growled back, "Don't interrupt." Returning to her more pleasant tone, she continued. "You and me, on the same page at the same time. When you get here – if you behave – you can tell me about _your_ warm up routine. You can tell me how _you_ prepare for _your_ match. How _you_ warm up _your _muscles and mapped out _your_ match." She paused for effect, listening to him breathe. "I'll be watching. Waiting." Parker smiled at the deeper breathing she heard on the line. Before Randy could say anything in response, she disconnected the call. _Be safe. Be whole. _Tucking the tip of her thumb between her teeth, Parker curled around her pillow and stared at the screen. _I know it will get better, but this is the first time I'm watching the man I lo-lik-care about… I have to give myself a little leeway. _After the commercial break, Randy was interviewed backstage. Parker was enthralled by his on-screen persona. _He seems so intense, so viral and aggressive. No wonder the women swoon. God knows I am. _She buried her face in the pillow. Peeking up with one eye, she caught Randy winking at the camera. _He didn't. No, he didn't! _Parker shrieked. _Damn that man! _Sitting straight up, she rewound the DVR several seconds and replayed the wink. Sending a quick emoji text of a facepalm, she went back to staring at the television screen. "I hear voices in my head…" Randy's theme song blasted from the Titantron as the man posed with his hands over his head. He stalked down the ramp…into the ring…on the ropes…the ring posts…hands over his head…_The man defines sexy!_ She slid her thumb between her teeth again. The match went back and forth. Parker watched carefully, looking for the little tidbits Randy had keyed her into. _There's a message. He just signaled his opponent. Another message from the ref. He's setting up for his signature move. Oh, my. That viper slither is so…Are my panties actually wet? SHIT! He got me aroused with this! _Randy slammed his opponent to the mat, flung his hands over his head, and winked into the camera. Parker flopped back onto her pillows and slipped her fingers into her panties. _Damn fool knows what he did. And he's proud of himself. _She slid her fingers in and out a few times before pinching her clit. _He got me here…so close…_ She rubbed her thumb along her clit and kept two fingers rocking in-and-out of her excited hole. _Not what I need, but.._sigh…_Randy…_ Her phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, it was the man himself. Hitting speaker, she sighed his name. Stroking harder, she moaned, "Ran-dy…" Hitting her clit harder, she whined, "Ran-ndy!"

When Parker finally looked at her phone, the call had been disconnected. A waiting text said, "…Sweet Pea…There aren't words for what I'm going to do to you…"

Parker turned off the television. She took the larger pillows into the entryway, not sure what he would have planned. Then she took a quick shower, plugged her phone in to charge in the kitchen, and sat down to wait on one of the pillows.

* * *

It was 1:30 in the morning. Parker was curled under a blanket on a very large pillow, blinking lazily as she roused from her nap. Heavy footfalls landed on the front steps. She wiggled upright against the wall, clutching the blanket tightly. The footsteps paused at the door. The handle jiggled before giving way easily under the pressure exerted by the man standing on the porch. Parker sat motionless, looking at the dark silhouette in her doorway. He stepped in silently, hoisting a large bag over his shoulder and carelessly tossing it to the side. The door was shut and locked. "That wasn't nice." Randy growled. The sound of his zipper split the air, as if he was ripping his coat off. The coat flew through the air and landed on his bag. "Just finished my match, was going to tell you how I was thinking of you and wanted to see you. How I couldn't wait to get here and hold you, to finish our conversation… I called you and what do I hear? What was the only thing I heard?" Parker watched as Randy tucked his thumbs into the waistband of his track pants. Taking a step in her direction, he growled, "Do I have to say it?" His pants hit the floor. "To hear you…" He was still in his trunks. _He didn't take the time to change. He pulled on track pants and raced here._ "Sweet Pea…" The need that filled his voice tugged at parts of her that she couldn't deny. Parker tilted her head to the side as she slowly moved the blanket to the side, baring her nakedness for the first time. "F-f-f-u-u-uck." Randy reached her in two steps, then lifted and pinned her against the wall in one motion. Parker wrapped her arms around his head and neck, meeting the onslaught of his kisses with equal fervor. Randy yanked his shorts down and warned, "Hold on." He gripped her hips and slammed inside. "God, Parker." He thrust harder and harder. "I've been on the edge since…"

Nipping at his shoulder, Parker moaned. "Please…" Curling her fingers into his biceps, she screamed his name as they both came.

Sliding his nose along the column of her throat to her ear, Randy bit her ear lobe before growling, "Barely took the edge off…" He held her with one arm under her hips and one wrapped around her back. Keeping her legs secured around his waist, Parker concentrated on kissing the skin she could reach. Randy's long strides carried the couple up the stairs and into the master bathroom. Stepping into the shower, he pressed her against the shower wall. "Vixen, that's what you are…" Sliding his arm from behind her back, he cradled her jaw in his large hand. "I have a routine. I finish my match. I go to my locker room. Sometimes I pace to chill. Then I shower. I put my trunks in their bag. I put it into my bag. Then I put my bag in the car. On my travel day, I drive to the airport and fly home." He tilted her head higher, pressing into her harder. "But tonight, tonight, you changed things. You, my little vixen, you changed my routine. That phone call…That through me off." He reached for the water, turning it on full-blast. The brunt of the cold water hit Randy's back, causing him to arch into her harder. "You. You are something else." Parker's fingers dug into his shoulders as her head arched back into the wall. "You are all I could think about, all I wanted. I couldn't even wait to change my clothes." Parker moaned and tried to thrust her hips. Randy caressed her throat before running his hand down her side to grasp her hip. The water pounding down on them had finally warmed to a tolerable temperature, so Randy no longer felt the need to protect her from the cold. He lowered his mouth to her throat, licking and sucking on the sensitive skin. "Hearing you come, I needed to _feel _you come…over and over and over again." He pulled her hips away from the wall, holding her tightly in his grasp as he thrust into her slowly. "You made yourself come after watching my match. You fingered yourself, whimpering and moaning my name." Parker's mouth opened helplessly. "But you needed me…" He stroked her harder. "You needed me here." She gasped his name. "You wanted me to take you hard and fast, as soon as I saw you." Her legs tightened around his waist, digging her feet into his lower back. "You…You…All I needed was you…" He bit the base of her neck, just where it joined her shoulder, as he slammed into her with jarring force for the second time in minutes.

Still framing her waist with his hands, Randy gently kissed her lips. "Welcome home." Parker whispered.

Randy laughed. "Yeah. Welcome home." He kissed her again. "Perfect…" As her feet touched the floor, he caressed her sides and kissed a trail up her nose to her forehead. Resting his chin on the crown of her head, Randy sighed. "Parker…"

Inhaling carefully so she smelled Randy and didn't accidentally breathe in water, Parker leaned into him so she could press kisses against the center of his chest. "I know, I know, baby." She felt around for the washcloth and soap. Creating a lather but no space between their bodies, she rubbed the cloth across his skin. "I've got you."

Taking hold of her wrist, Randy let his whiskers scratch her cheeks as he lowered his head so he could whisper in her ear. "You tempt me, woman. The fires are banked for now, but, God, I can't let you go. You…"

"Shhh…" Parker met Randy's intense eyes. "I know, Randy. I know." Rising up on her tiptoes, she caught his bottom lip between her teeth as she caressed his length with the soapy washcloth. In a flash, Randy spun her around so his chest was pressed against his back and her arms were folded across her own.

His thigh maneuvered between hers. "Twice already, Parker. And you are pushing my limits…" His chin was once again propped on top of her head. "I could so easily bend you over and take you again. Just lean you forward a bit and push inside…" Randy groaned, pinned her wrists with one hand, cupped one breast with another, and bent their bodies forward as his tip probed her entrance. "Mmmmm…" The fingers of one hand tweaked her nipple as his other hand slid further south to toy with her clit. Parker's head rested on his shoulder as she raised her hands to encircle his neck and moan restlessly. "How…" he wondered aloud as he felt her body clench around him once more. Helplessly, he plowed into her, rutting for the third time.

After drying each other off several minutes later, Randy pulled Parker down onto the bed. He spooned against her, pillowing her head on his arm. "The perfect ending to the perfect…" he yawned.

Parker pulled Randy's other arm around her waist, smiling. Twining their fingers together, she whispered, "All-in. Mind, body, and... heart."

Randy smiled as he tightened his grip on her. "Shhh…" He kissed her shoulder. Parker snuggled in closer. "Mmmmm. All-in used to sound so good. Now…" He trailed off as he kissed her shoulder again. Parker looked over her shoulder, meeting his gaze. "I love you" they whispered together. Parker laid her head back down and closed her eyes. Randy tucked his face against the top of her spine. "How it's meant to be" he murmured. "Home…"

* * *

_**PART FIVE**_

Wednesday morning rolled into Wednesday afternoon. Randy and Parker woke up tangled in each other's arms. Curling his arms around her tightly with a smile, Randy mumbled, "This is truly the way to wake up." Nodding as she stretched her arms over her head, Parker giggled as Randy pulled her over his head so he could suckle on her breast. "MMM, breakfast!" He licked his lips as she squealed and tried to pull away. "No, no escape." He laughed as he laid her down on the mattress, pinning her hands over her head. "No escape, Parker. All mine." Randy's voice had taken on a gravely tone as he stared into her eyes.

Parker swallowed hard and nodded. "All yours. I love you." Randy's mouth dropped, capturing hers in a powerful, possessive kiss. While his tongue teased and plundered, his hands held hers immobile beside her head. Working his way down her body, Randy kissed and caressed every inch of her flesh. Reaching the juncture of her thighs, he looked up at her as he slipped his tongue into that sensitive spot that he knew so well. Never breaking eye contact, Randy watched as Parker slipped and slid closer and closer to the crest. "Ran-ndy!"

While she had a tiny orgasm, Randy knew he was denying her the true goal. Rolling to his back, he pulled her astride his waist. "You want the real thing? Take it." He folded his hands behind his head. Parker's fingers flexed against his pectoral muscles as she held herself immobile momentarily. Sinking down slowly, she settled in place and, again, did not move. Randy smiled. "Sweet pea, I have stamina this morning." Parker wiggled her eyebrows in challenge. A slow rise and fall, rocking ever so slowly, let Randy know she was going to tease and torment him with great pleasure. "Do…your…worst" he grunted. Continuing her slow rise, Parker moved one hand out of his view. As she began her descent, Randy felt her blunt fingernails lightly scratch his ball sack. "Not…fair."

Leaning forward to nibble on his earlobe, she whispered, "Who said I was going to play fair? You claimed to have stamina. I'm going to test that, darling." Another light scratch brought a groan from her man. His muscles trembled. "You'll tap shortly."

Randy shook his head. "Not a chance, Sweet Cheeks." Thrusting his hips upwards, he lifted Parker higher and off-balance. Chuckling as she clutched at his chest, he rumbled, "Two can play this game…"

Fondling his balls as she rocked against him, thrusting her chest forward proudly, Parker murmured to herself, "I have the motivation. I have the will power." With another light squeeze, she proclaimed, "And I have the goods, Sweetheart."

Curling in a modified sit-up, Randy captured one nipple between his teeth. "Now who's got the goods?" he teased without releasing his prize. Closing his lips around the aroused peak, he sucked on the warm globe gently. Laving the entire mound with his tongue, he made a pattern of sucking and licking as she held his head and continued her slow rocking.

"Ran-dy…" Parker's voice hitched as she sighed his name. Her arms wound around his neck as his hands spanned her waist.

He rested his forehead against hers. "I love you." He guided her movements as she started losing momentum in her motion. She gasped as he pulled her down harder. "Let go…Let go…" Parker threw her head back and howled. Randy arched into her and groaned. Laying back, he held her against his chest, cradling her head under his neck. Parker listened to his heartbeat slowly calm. Randy kissed her forehead intermittently before speaking. "I thought I would sleep soundly last night. Being here, with you…I was sure I'd sleep the whole night through." Parker waited. "I kept waking up, reaching for you, making sure you were still here. I watched you sleep. Just feeling you in my arms…Parker, you just can't understand…"

Rubbing from his shoulder to his elbow, Parker whispered, "Shhh… Shhh… Randy…Shhh…" She kissed the base of his neck. "It's real. We're real." Leaning up to kiss his chin, she rubbed her thumb above his eyebrow. "Are we early in our relationship? Yes. Is there still a lot to learn about each other? Absolutely."

Caressing her cheeks with his thumbs, Randy spoke quietly. "This feels months or…not days…And yes, we're still learning about each other. But when it feels right, it feels right. And holding you feels right. Watching you sleep is so relaxing."

Kissing him gently, Parker continued the quiet conversation. "On our first date, you said you were looking for someone who"

Randy interrupted. "You. I've been looking for you." He slid his hands into her hair. "You challenge me in ways I need to be challenged. You love me the way I need to be loved. When I need raw sex, you wait for me naked at the door. We make love, fuck like bunnies, and talk like best friends. I could do without the pre-match boners, but other than that, you are damn near perfect." Parker giggled.

Shaking her head, she murmured, "That keeps you on your toes."

Randy disagreed. "That just makes it impossible to wrestle. And, depending on who I'm in the ring with, some pretty uncomfortable rumors can get started."

"So you and John have had a love affair for years. It's not a secret anymore." Parker tried to smother her laugh against his chest.

"Woman, I am trying to be serious here. Do not ever repeat that shit again." Randy tried to sound threatening as he lifted her smiling face. "What the hell, John would find it hilarious and love to meet you after a stunt like that. He'll be thrilled to know that I've got someone in my life that makes me this happy." He dropped a series of kisses along the bridge of her nose. "Joking with you, talking, eating, sleeping, painting, it doesn't matter what we do together; I'm happy."

Still smiling, Parker agreed. "Me, too."

* * *

"If you hold that right there…"

"You do remember I'm not six-foot four, right?" Parker muttered.

Chuckling, Randy reached around the smaller woman. "That's why you have the step-stool. Stop whining and hold the molding here…and here." He placed her hands where he wanted them. "Give me to the count of eight and I'll have a couple nails in place." She nodded. "I want to hear you."

"One…two…three…You haven't started nailing yet…"

Leaning over to bite the top of her ear, Randy growled, "Oh, I'll nail you tonight." Chuckling to himself, he backed away and picked up the hammer as Parker started fussing.

"Oh, you dirty, rotten…FOUR! Five…six…" Randy held one nail against the middle of the molding and sunk it into the wood with one strike of the hammer. Two side steps to the left and two more taps had Randy sending a cocky grin in Parker's direction. "Seven…" Coming back over to her, he leaned over her back and sank two more nails in the molding over her head. "Eigh…"

"Eight. Come on, you can say it." Randy laughed in her ear.

"Smartass." She groused.

"You love my ass" he returned.

"Yada, yada, yada." Parker ducked under Randy's raised arms.

Dropping his arms around her waist, Randy pulled her back into his embrace. "Don't be like that, Sweet Pea. Now, look at this wall. Doesn't it look good?"

Sighing as she leaned against Randy, Parker agreed. "We do work well together. That was the perfect finishing touch." As he kissed the crown of her head, she said, "Only three more walls to go."

"Now who's the smartass?" Laughing together, they moved with synchronized motions to measure, cut, and nail the molding to the walls.

* * *

Parker reclined lazily against Randy, listening to his voice in her ear. "Right there, he's calling the move. They know how to set up at this point. He's going to position himself to fall and prepare for the bump." Pointing at the screen that was several feet away, he followed the man climbing the ropes. "He's taking his time, making big gestures so all eyes are on him. The idea is that people won't notice that whomever is on the mat is ready for the landing, that he isn't getting smashed by the full body weight of the other guy."

"Provided this is done correctly." Parker interjected. "Things can always go wrong, which is why each show leads off with 'don't try this at home' and all of you see trainers and come home sore."

"True, true. Accidents happen. We walk through and talk through matches. And there are guys we like to work with and some we'd prefer not to." Randy admitted. "Some are more…heavy-handed than others. I've worked with some guys and never had a scratch. I've worked with others and walked out bloody every single time."

Parker entwined her fingers through his. "Who is your favorite person to work with right now?"

Randy groaned. "Oh, that's a hard one. We've got a lot of great guys right now. The guy who wrestles as AJ Styles is very talented and knows his stuff. He's also just a great guy off-screen. Bray Wyatt has this awesome character, knows how to wrestle, and is completely different in real life. John Cena is always a go-to guy. I could go on and on. The list of people I refuse to work with is very short. When I have gone to Paul – Triple H – and said that I won't work with someone, he knows there's a problem."

"I have to say, it's obvious you love what you do."

"I do, I do." Curling his free arm around her waist, he confessed, "I have a reputation at work. I'm an ass. It's a reputation that I've earned. I was young and cocky. I was talented and I knew it. Now I revel in the fact that I don't have to put up with some of the shit that some of the others do." He kissed the side of her neck. "I admit, I can still be an ass but I pull my weight. If I say someone is dangerous, the powers-that-be know they are. And if I say someone is young and needs time, they know that is true as well. I might say it with temper, but they know I'm honest and right." Turning back to the next match, Randy began walking her through the new positions and moves. Parker listened as Randy spoke. _He is so knowledgeable and passionate about his craft. He describes himself as an ass but I daresay he's probably grown from an idiot young man who didn't know any better and was too big for his britches to a passionate veteran who won't tolerate the ideocracy from peons who don't listen. It's deeper than being an ass. _"Are you hearing anything I'm saying?"

Turning to look into his eyes, Parker squeezed his fingers. "Every word, honey." Randy looked right back into her eyes, understanding the deep connection. "Your match is coming up."

Keeping his arms wrapped tightly around her, Randy continued to speak directly into her ear. He walked her through every step of his match. _I hear voices in my head…_ "I'm on my toes backstage, bouncing. That song still sends chills down my spine. I love that feeling." He kissed below her ear. "The crowd roars, well, usually. That or boos. Then I walk out. The cheers or boos increase." He talked her all the way to the ring, describing his entire entrance. "With my veteran position in the company, I enter last. My opponent gets to wait for me. That means we get to start our match once I am in the ring." On the television, the ref motioned for the bell to ring. The on-screen Randy began circling his opponent, licking his chops. As they locked arms, the in-person Randy's low voice tickled her senses as he walked her through arm-bars, head-locks, RKO's, and various other moves. "I am setting him up for a powerslam. That's the name of the move when I pick a guy up by his shoulders and between his legs, spin him and slam him on the mat. In this case, I push myself away so I can attack again, striking for the pin and win." Randy smiled as he listened to Parker's breathing rate increase, becoming almost a pant. Nipping her ear, he whispered, "You seem excited."

Parker blushed as she turned to face him. "Kinda hard to deny. You called mid… You heard the affect first-hand." She shrugged."

Smirking, Randy agreed. "True. Now, how'm I going to wrestle with that knowledge? Knowing that you get all worked up?" Parker giggled. "It's not funny, Sweet Pea. You saw the tiny trunks I wear. Thinking about you being excited would be plainly obvious to everyone."

Cupping one cheek in her hand, Parker kissed him softly. "In the ring, you'd better never think of me. Focus on the match. Think about what you are doing. Give your all, come out whole and healthy. Then you can think of me and how we can celebrate a good night."

Randy returned her kiss. "Good plan. You know, you could come with me and celebrate…"

Parker shook her head. "We already talked about that."

Giving her a gentle squeeze, he said, "But now…"

"We're still figuring out our relationship. You are teaching me about your career. We're learning about each other. Establishing boundaries and home. For the record, I still don't want to strut in front of a camera." Parker said.

With a heavy exhale Randy tucked her under his chin. "I want to keep you close. Having you beside me is calming. We don't have to be in front of cameras. Knowing that you are there when the show is over, that would be relaxing for me. Curling up with you to sleep."

Parker sighed. "Let's sleep on it."

Randy turned off the television, stood, and scooped her up in his arms. "Best idea of the night" he agreed. Carrying her up the stairs, he confided, "This is what I've missed; holding you. Silly as it sounds, the scent of you as I'm falling asleep and when I wake up." He laid her on the bed and curled up behind her. "Sometimes I just want to…"

Parker pulled his arm around her waist. "I get it, Randy. And when you aren't here, I miss being in your arms, too." She blinked rapidly. "We'll talk about it later. Just know that it's two of us in this relationship. I'm dating the man, not the icon. Right now, I need to keep the two separate." She squeezed his hand. "And the man that cut molding is not the same one who DPWed the guy in the ring."

"DPW?" Randy repeated. "I get what you are saying. I can appreciate it as well." He drew her face to the side to kiss her gently again. "And we can talk about it later." He kissed her again. "You keeping the two so distinct is something that makes you very special."

Parker's eyes still glistened. "I know that I'll…accept isn't the right word, but you know what I mean, at some point. I'll be on the fringes, in the shadows. You know you have my full support. And home will never change."

Shifting her back the way he was most comfortable, Randy agreed. "All-in. And I'll get you there eventually." He whispered against the back of her neck, "If only for post-match sex." Parker tried to squirm but Randy held her tight. "Shhh, stop moving. Some of us are trying to sleep. You can get kinky again tomorrow."

"Oh, you!" Parker swatted his arm before settling down into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

When Parker awoke Thursday morning, she slipped from Randy's grasp and quietly went about her chores. _Starting laundry, check. Unloading dishwasher, check. Wiping kitchen counters, check. Mopping kitchen floor, check. Vacuuming carpets, check. _She had the scrub bucket in her hand when she heard footsteps on the stairs. "Good morning" she greeted.

"A good morning is waking with you in my arms." Randy corrected, raising her chin for a kiss.

"You looked so peaceful and I had some boring chores to get done, so…"

He folded his hand around hers. "Boring chores sounds wonderful." She snorted. "It's part of being home." He leaned over to kiss her again. "That and I want to continue our conversation from last night." When she rolled her eyes, he grasped the back of her neck so she had no choice but to meet his serious gaze. "It's not the first time you've hinted that we don't really know each other. I think we do, at least the really important things. But we are going to spend today talking about everything from our favorite cartoon characters to what our favorite ice cream topping is and what our favorite childhood memory is to the really important stuff like our most erotic sexual fantasies. By the end of today, we'll know each other inside and out."

Parker smiled. "When you put your mind to something, you go all-out and failure isn't and option, is it?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

PART SIX

"Andre the Giant? Seriously? How big was your house?" Parker shook her head in amazement. She stepped back and looked at the bathroom. "I don't think he'd fit in this house. I mean, the doorways…the furniture…nothing here is big enough…"

Randy started laughing. "So you don't want to invite Big Show over for dinner?"

Parker backed into the doorframe. "What?! I mean, sure…I…"

Pulling the flustered woman into a loose embrace, Randy let her off the hook quickly. "Sweet Pea, Big Show and I aren't that close. We don't hang out at each other's houses. The look on your face was priceless." He kissed her forehead. "Andre was a large man, a teddy bear in real life. Do you know how sturdy a banister is? Andre leaned – LEANED – on our banister and it snapped like it was made of twigs. That's how big he was."

"No wonder you grew up wanting to wrestle. Your dad, your uncle...meals with Piper and Valentine…your house remodeled by Andre the Giant; It's in your blood." Parker looked up at Randy with clear eyes.

"True, it is in my blood. It's part of me." Randy pushed the cleaning supplies at their feet into a corner of the bathroom. He curled his hands behind her head and around her waist. "Wrestling, doing interviews, and all the other promotional events that are part of it are wonderful but I need someone in my corner who understands that she is my safe place, my other half."

Parker held on to Randy's neck. "Your safe harbor, your sanctuary. I get it." Meeting his steady gaze she promised, "I'm there, all in, for you. I'm your safe place. I'm your sanctuary, your harbor from the craziness in life. Just like curling up in your arms makes me feel, that's what I am for you. I love you."

Leaning down to gently press his lips to hers, Randy repeated back, "I love you." Picking her up and sitting her on the counter by the sink, he rested his hands against her hips. "You are my other half. We fit together…" Moving one hand to caress the side of her neck, his lips began to drift across her cheek and nose then down the other side of her neck to her collarbone. "Perfection…" Sliding her shirt up and off, he let his hands glide across her skin. His lips kissed a trail across her chest, grazing the swells of her breasts. His thumbs rested underneath, as if giving support. "Made just for me…" He cupped her with one hand, watching as the globe fit perfectly in his palm and fingers. Teasing her nipple with his thumb, he smiled as the pink skin peaked. "Mine." He bent to suckle on the aroused mound. Parker's fingers clutched at the back of Randy's head as he laved and sucked. Lifting her a fraction to slide her pants free, Randy dropped to his knees and palmed hers apart. "You have no idea what your scent does to me…" he groaned. Pulling her to the edge of the counter and gripping her hips tightly, he inhaled deeply before flicking his tongue over her clit. When she tried to move, his firm grip kept her still. Teasing tastes, inhales, breaths across her sensitive skin, light nips on her inner thighs, and ever so slight thrusts of his tongue kept Parker on the edge. Moaning his name in a breathless chant game way to a keening-wail. Finally relenting, Randy whipped off his shirt with one hand as he stood, keeping one hand on her hip for safety, and then yanked down his pants, kicking them into the hallway. "You make me whole." he whispered, touching himself to her. "Parker…" He slid inside and held himself still as her body began to shake. She wrapped her legs around his waist and murmured his name. Grasping her head with one hand, Randy kissed her possessively and rocked into her, pushing her higher and harder, not letting her come down from her climax. Parker began to moan and wail, making Randy push faster. Once she was panting Randy slammed their hips together as hard as he could, burying himself and his seed deep inside his woman before drooping over her body.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm leaving again. I just got home." Randy griped. His bags were packed and stacked by the door. Parker was wrapped in his arms, giving him one final hug.

Kissing his whisker-covered chin, she softly reminded him, "You have to go so you can have another welcome-home, right?"

Nodding with a smile of remembrance, he agreed. "You do know how to welcome me home. But I think we've done pretty good in the meantime as well." She blushingly agreed. "I warned you that leaving would be rough."

She kissed his chin again as she blinked back a few tears. "And I promised not to make it harder. I will not whine or beg. And I will not cry. We are solid. You will call when you can. And I will be here for you because we are a couple and this is what we do." Squeezing his shoulders as much as she could, Parker whispered, "I love you, Randy."

Dropping a soft kiss on her lips, he whispered back, "I love you, Parker." Squeezing her waist, he kissed her again before finally leaving.

* * *

_**PART SEVEN**_

Puttering around the house Friday after Randy left led Parker to starting a new project; the kitchen. _It doesn't need to be completely redone…just a face-lift. _She giggled to herself. _Famous last words!_ Stacking the cabinet doors in the living room, she emptied the cabinets onto the dining room table. _This will be the next project._ She promised herself. _If I keep it as a dining room. Maybe a home office? Hmm…There's an idea with merit. _Moving the chairs against the wall, she created more space to stack the things from the cabinets. Before long, the dining room looked like a storage unit. _Not bad for a few hours work. Now…how do I want this to look? What style do I want to keep and live with for years to come?_ She sat cross-legged in the middle of the floor and looked around the room. Picking up her phone, she sent a text. "Don't think, just answer with your first thought… Rustic or Contemporary?"

Unsurprisingly, her phone rang within ten minutes. "Parker, my dear, what are you getting in to?" She could almost hear Randy's head shaking. "I just left!"

"Mmmm Hmmm…And I miss you already." She propped herself up on one hand, crossing her feet as she reclined back and looked around the room. "I'm directing my emotions into a new project. So, rustic or contemporary?"

A door shut. A heavy bag dropped on the floor with a loud 'thump'. She could hear Randy sit down on a creaky chair. "Parkerrrr…"

"I'm starting on another room." she explained. "Just thinking right now about the style…The house needs to tie together and it could go either way... Since this brings everything together, the decision needs to be made before…"

"What room?"

"I asked you a question first." Parker responded.

"Parkerrr…"

"Randyyyy…"

He muttered, "I swear I'm gonna tan your ass."

"What was that?"

"I said I am going to tan your ass the next time I see you. Now answer the question…What room are you currently starting to destroy?" Randy spoke in his authoritative Viper voice. A chill ran down Parker's spine. _Damn, he sounds hot! I know that's supposed to be a threat but DAMN!_ "Hello! PAR-KER!" Randy was starting to sound irritated.

With a sigh she said, "Okay, okay. I am in the kitchen. It's not like we're going to re-do the whole thing…It'll be a medium-sized project. I just need a direction, rustic or contemporary?" Randy groaned. "I promise, it's not going to be an overwhelming thing. Cabinet doors, paint, wallpaper border…Nothing too wild."

"Sweetheart, how did you come up with this project in such a short amount of time?" Parker could hear the chair Randy was sitting in creaking. She could picture him in her mind, leaning back…the chair on two legs, the toes and balls of his feet on the floor, the chair tipping back and forth with every flex of his thigh muscles. She briefly wondered if he was wearing his wrestling trunks or track pants. _If he's in his track pants, he's my Randy. If his in his trunks, every muscle of the Viper is visible and oh…my…sigh!_ "Parker? Where did you drift off to?"

"Ha! You don't want to know." Parker answered, shaking her head ruefully. "But to answer your other question, since the living room is pretty much finished I thought it would be a good idea to move on to another room. Like we had talked about before, making this house a home, giving it a real 'home' feel that is unique to the people living in it. Since I moved in, I just stuck a couple of things on the wall. Now it's time to make it 'home'. And we agreed that you and I are 'all in' together. Soooo I need your input on the changes, no matter how big or small. I doubt you would want a pink bedroom with lace and bows."

"You aren't a pink bedroom, lace and bows kind of woman." he interrupted.

"True, but you are missing the point."

The creaking of the chair stopped. "The point is clear, Parker. I get that we make decisions together. And you have no idea how much it means to me that you want my input when you are remodeling what has been YOUR house. But you need to remember it is and always will be difficult to hear that you are doing things like this while I am away." He inhaled and exhaled deeply. "At some point, we need to talk about whether that is going to be OUR house, OUR home. If it is, then we will need to make some changes…"

"Changes like…" Parker trailed off.

"Changes like I have a place that I wouldn't be living in, so we'd need to combine households, furniture and whatnot. Changes like I'd need to move all my clothes and crap. Changes like splitting the bills."

Parker cleared her throat. "Wow. When you get serious, you get real serious." Scratching her head, she pulled her feet back in close and crossed them. "I want to table this conversation until we are face-to-face." When Randy started to speak, she cut him off. "Randy, I want you to see me when I tell you that I am not interested in your money. You've said that you've been with other women who were after your money, fame and name. I want you to remember that I am with the man. I want us to be us, not **_Randy Orton _**and some girl. I want us to see each other when we talk so there isn't any miscommunication. I love you, Randy. Time apart will always be difficult. There'll be growing pains. We'll figure it out."

The chair creaked again. Parker imagined that Randy was running his hand over his closely-cropped hair. She envisioned a firm set to his jaw and a hard glint in his eyes from the frustration he was feeling. "You're right. We'll talk about this when I get home. Because, Parker, if you refer to yourself as 'some girl' again, I want you within reach." He cleared his throat harshly. "I love you. You are my other half."

"Randy, I didn't mean…"

"You were right. Miscommunications happen over the phone. This conversation is tabled." He took another deep breath. "Send me some pictures of your ideas for the kitchen. I'll look at them and call you tonight."

"Randy…"

"I love you, Parker."

"I love you." Parker wasn't sure if he heard her before he hung up. _Well that went well. _Laying the phone on the floor, she buried her face in her arms and cried. _Our first fight and it's his first night away…We've got so long before we see each other and work this out._ Letting her tears slide down her cheeks, she sat on the kitchen floor as the sun set. _Why didn't I piddle around and do something else? I could've gone shopping or gotten a pedicure or watched shapes in the clouds…Anything but this. DAMN! It hurts so much! _She threw her head back and screamed.

* * *

Three hours later, Randy hadn't received any messages from Parker. The show was over and he was in his rental car driving to the hotel 4 hours away. Taking into consideration the time differential and the way their conversation had ended, he decided it was okay to call. Every attempt over the interminable ride went straight to voicemail. "Where could she be?" Smacking the steering wheel, he cursed himself. "Did you have to be such an ass? Did you have to be so hard on her? DAMMIT, RANDY! YOU ASSHOLE! She's the best thing that has ever come in to your life and you pushed her away!" Berating himself the entire drive, he arrived at the hotel filled with guilt over their disagreement and worried that he hadn't gotten through to Parker. Once he was in his room, he paced as he left yet another message. "Parker, sweetheart, I'm in the hotel. I love you and want to talk to you. Call me, please. I am sorry, just call me."

Flopping back on the bed with one hand across his head, he hoped that he'd hear from her soon. "I just need to make things right."

* * *

Parker walked into the hotel lobby. _I hope they aren't booked up. Maybe this is a stupid idea. _Literally crossing her fingers, she approached the front desk and spoke to the overly-cheery clerk. _This is going too smoothly. _Getting into her room on the fourth floor, Parker set both of her bags on the dresser and pulled out her phone. _I guess it's safe to turn this back on._ She laughed to herself. _Talk about paranoid. He'll be happy to see you. You are making an effort. He asked you to come. This is a good surprise. _As the phone came to life, Parker's eyes widened. _Um…maybe not. Twelve messages? EIGHTY-FOUR MISSED CALLS? How did I miss EIGHTY-FOUR calls from Randy in…_Parker looked at the time. _I guess it has been four and a half hours since I turned my phone off at the airport. But EIGHTY-FOUR? He must be pissed! _Holding her breath, she listened to the messages.

"Hey, Parker, it's Randy. I, ah, I just left the show and I'm on my way to the hotel. It's, ah, it's a four-hour drive so I thought we could talk. Give me a call."

"Hey, Parker. Randy again. I've tried calling a few times. Just trying to talk. Wanted to hear your voice."

"Hey, babe. Me again. Give me a call."

"I know it's late. Hoping you are asleep. Call me."

"I'm about an hour into this drive just wanted you to know that I'm thinking about you. Love you, babe."

"I'm blowing up your phone, I know, but I don't like how we left things. Call me."

"I never got those kitchen pictures. Let's talk."

"Obviously I've had time to think. So…I'm a modern guy. I like modern things, my phone and electronics and stuff. Is that contemporary? If contemporary means lots of chrome and things get fingerprints, then no. Let's go with rustic. I don't want to spend all our time at home cleaning. I mean the time we spent cleaning was great but I don't want that to be all we do. Know what I mean?"

"Okay, Parker. I'm starting to get worried. Pick up the phone. Send a message and let me know you are okay."

"I'm almost to the hotel. I don't care what time you get this message. Call me."

"Come on, Parker! I love you."

"Parker, sweetheart, I'm in the hotel. I love you and want to talk to you. Call me, please. I am sorry, just call me."

By the time the messages ended, tears were streaming down Parker's face. Hitting redial, she waited to hear Randy's voice. "I am so sorry. My phone was off but I'm here now. I wanted to see you and look you in the face and be in your arms. I'm so sorry…"

"You what? Where are you?" Randy interrupted, confused.

"I'm here, in the hotel. Well, a hotel. In Seattle." Parker explained.

"Why are you in Seattle?" he asked.

"That's where you are." Now Parker was confused. "I looked at the WWE schedule and got a flight out so I could see you. We were fighting and I didn't like being apart so I…"

Randy groaned. "Par-ker…"

Parker sat on the edge of the hotel bed. "I've done something wrong." she whispered.

"No, baby." he whispered back. "You are so incredibly sweet. I love you so much. And I want to curl up beside you and hold you right now…" Parker waited. "Sweetheart. Honey. It means so much to me that you looked up the schedule and got a flight. It really does. The thing is, you read the Raw schedule. I'm on Smackdown right now." Parker was silent. "I'm in Austin, Texas." Her wail pierced his ear. "Shhhhh. Parker, Parker, baby, stop crying. You have no idea what your crying does to me. I can't take your tears, honey."

"I'm so stupid!"

Randy growled. "That's two, and sweetie, you aren't going to like those spankings."

"What?!"

"No one insults my girlfriend the way you have tonight. Not even you." Piling the pillows against the headboard, Randy made himself comfortable. "Now, I want you to stop crying. Let me hear you nice and calm." Parker's breathing evened out. She took her phone into the bathroom while she splashed cool water on her face. "I do like how you follow directions." Randy's smirk could be heard through the phone. "Settle yourself on the bed." He listened while she moved the pillows and covers. "Sooo…tell me about your plan for tonight. How were you going to find me?"

Parker sighed. "Well, I don't know what hotel you stay at or anything, so I just picked one and figured it would probably be close by. I checked in and turned on my phone. It was off for the flight and so I wouldn't ruin the surprise. I was so tempted to call you…" She paused to keep herself from crying. "I'm sorry I missed all eighty-four of your calls, by the way." Taking another composing breath, she continued. "I figured that, even if you were asleep when I got here, since you had asked me to come before you would be happy that I was making the effort. And since you seemed as bothered by our fight as I was, we would talk it out and make-up."

Clearing his throat, Randy spoke. "My turn. Yes, our disagreement bothered me. Obviously since I called, as you said, eighty-four times. That was a disagreement, hon, not a fight. There wasn't any name-calling, no one hung up on the other, no slamming doors, and no disrespect was intended or given. It's just a hiccup we need to work through, and we are going to have those. We love each other and we are trying. That's what matters. We'll get on the same page."

"You're in Austin and I'm in Seattle. How are we close to the same page?" Parker smacked her hand on the mattress.

Randy's voice got gravely and deep. "I've never been in a relationship with a woman who dropped everything and came to me to try and work through a problem before. Putting ME, MY needs and feelings so high on the priority list. And don't mention the show/location-confusion thing again. I think that is adorable." She snorted. "I'll give you a list of where I'll be and the name of the hotel. If you aren't traveling with me, you'll know where I'll be. No confusion in the future. See? Communication – we have a plan." She 'harumphfed' in response. Randy growled, "Park-er…" as he rubbed his hand across his head once more. "I promise you, as worried as I was that you weren't answering the phone; my heart is pounding at the thought of you traveling to see me, to surprise me in person. To curl around you each night…To see you every morning…To walk backstage and say 'She's mine – hands off' and watch the other guys' faces drop because they don't stand a chance with you. I can't wait to come back from my match, walk into my dressing room, and see your reaction to The Viper in person." Parker's soft breathing filled the line. "Nothing to say?"

Repositioning herself on the hotel mattress thousands of miles from where she wanted to be, Parker murmured, "How did I know you would bring that up again? Sex on the brain, I tell ya."

"YOU said we would talk things through and make up." Randy laughed. "Making up ALWAYS includes sex and lots of it."

"UGH!" Parker smothered a screech. "I'm not having phone sex with you." Randy laughed harder. "I'm being serious."

Propping his hand behind his head, Randy finally relaxed. "No, Parker. Not tonight. I just want you to know…" He cleared his throat. "I've thought a lot about this. I know I've told you that I wanted you to come with me on the road, but I haven't told you what it would be like. I get that you don't want to be in front of the cameras and fans, and we can do our best to avoid that. It's the time spent together that is important to me. With you coming to the hotel, or trying to, makes me so happy. Tonight I'm going to sleep imagining that you are in my arms and know that tomorrow you will be."

"How, exactly, do you know that?" Parker asked.

"Well, sweetheart, if you flew to Seattle to see me, then I know you'll pick up the ticket that I buy for you to meet me in Dallas." He continued talking over her attempted interruptions. "I'll double-check the hotel and text you the information. You can check in when you get there and I'll just come to the room when the show is over. You avoid the fans and fan-fare and we get to see each other. Then we can travel together to the next two shows. Once Smackdown is over, we'll go home and work on the kitchen. Together." Parker could hear the satisfaction and excitement in Randy's voice.

Parker whispered into her phone, "I like the sound of that. The togetherness…after we get your stuff into the house. It'll be easier to do laundry and whatnot."

A low groan filled the line. "Parker…Tomorrow…We will talk tomorrow, just like we planned. I want to see you, hold you…"

"I love you, Randy" She was still whispering.

"I love you, too. Sleep well. Sweet dreams."

With the call disconnected, Parker got up from the bed and headed for her luggage. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she spoke to herself. "Well, this certainly isn't what you had planned." She watched tears well in her eyes. "Suck it up, buttercup. You need to learn who you are dating. It's not that hard; his name is Randy Orton. He's on WWE's Smackdown. They post their schedule. Remember the basics, babe." Wiping her eyes, she shook her head at herself. "On the positive side, he thought it was a valiant effort and has a plan to keep your ineptitude from striking again. You'll be together tomorrow and for the rest of his work week – what he wanted to begin with. Now, you need to get over your pity party and get some rest. You've got a flight to catch and a hotel to find. Don't screw up tomorrow." Pulling a pair of clean underwear and a sleepshirt from her suitcase, she glared at the mirror. "You are such a dumbass."

A short shower helped calm Parker's frayed nerves. Still talking to herself, she opened her laptop. "You know sleep isn't coming any time soon. And not just because you napped on the plane…" Fluffing the pillows, she created a little 'nest' on the bed. "I guess a few hours of work couldn't hurt" she sighed.

* * *

_**PART EIGHT**_

Parker sat upright in bed, confused as to what had woken her up. A few moments later a soft knock rapped upon the door, obviously not for the first time. Peeking through the peephole, Parker saw the distorted round face of a man with long dreadlocks. _He looks kinda like a guy I saw on television. Was he wrestling? _

The man looked at the floor under the door, then at the peephole. "Darlin', it's okay to open the door. Randy asked me to give you a ticket and a ride to the airport." The man spoke quietly and the door muffled his voice even moreso. Opening the door with the chain still attached, Parker listened to his explanation more clearly. "Randy said there had been a little mix-up and you needed a ride to the airport for your flight to Dallas. I've got a car and your ticket, but we need to get a move on. Your flight is in an hour and a half. We're not going to make the TSA 2-hour window as it is."

"I…"

The wild-looking man spoke gently. "My name is Windham Rotunda. I wrestle as Bray Wyatt. My brother Taylor is also a wrestler on Raw. He wrestles as Bo Dallas. We are just helping out a friend. That's all."

Parker nodded. "Thank you. Give me just a second." Shutting the door, she hurried to her suitcase to grab some clothes. Yanking them on, she unlocked and opened the hotel door. "I'll grab my things." Making quick work of checking the room for her belongings, she zipped her suitcase and joined the man waiting in the doorway. "I'm Parker. I'm the idiot who doesn't know anything about wrestling and came to the wrong city to surprise her boyfriend because I didn't know what show he was on." To her chagrin, tears welled in her eyes as a blush stained her cheeks.

Randy's friend touched her arm, guiding her down the hallway. "You'll learn all about this industry, more than you ever wanted to know. There's not a man in this company who will think you are an idiot. Every one of us will think what you did, or tried to do, was exceptionally sweet. And not knowing which roster makes it even sweeter." Parker shook her head. As the elevator arrived on the first floor, Windham continued to guide her across the lobby and out of the building to a waiting SUV. He stowed her luggage in the back as she got into the backseat. He joined his brother in the front, turning to continue the conversation. "Women constantly throw themselves at us. They think that WWE wrestlers want… So to have someone in our lives that is interested in us and knows the MAN not the CHARACTER… That is something that we treasure and protect. And that is something that the other men in this company are happy to help with whenever we can."

Parker keyed in on something he'd said. "So women are constantly throwing themselves at you guys?" The men in the front seat cleared their throats. "Isn't it hard to turn them down? Or do the guys turn them down?" She turned her face to the side window.

The driver spoke up. "I'm Taylor, Bo, Windham's brother." Parker didn't look at him. "There are ring-rats in every city. And it's obvious who and what they are. Most fans are just that – fans. They want a picture or an autograph or to tell a story about the last time they met us and how nice we were." He was silent as he focused on changing lanes and making a turn to head towards the airport. "Building trust is important. You and Randy are a new couple. You'll need to build that foundation, that trust and communication. He has to know that while he's traveling, you aren't letting the pool boy check your lawn, if you catch my drift. And you have to trust that he's not going to diddle some…"

"I think she gets it." Windham interrupted.

"I'm just saying that my wife and I talked about it. The hardest times have been right after I've returned from injury because I've spent all that time at home." He continued to explain.

Parker sighed and nodded. "Randy and I have talked about some of that, too. We're working on the communication. Obviously, I need to work on that a bit more since I'm in Seattle and he's in Austin, but…"

"That's just adorable."

Parker argued, "I bet your wives know what show you are on. They know what city and state you are in."

Windham turned to face Parker. "You are being too hard on yourself. Give it a rest. Randy's fixing it. Let the past go and take advantage of the time together. If you keep kicking yourself, you'll ruin the opportunity."

"Wise words, brother. Wise words."

* * *

Parker looked around the hotel lobby. _Nice place. I'm here a wee-bit early…_ She walked up to the counter to try to check-in anyway. The manager greeted her with a smile. "I know I'm early, but is it possible to check in early? I should have a reservation under the name Parker…"

"Oh, absolutely! We have you all set for an early check-in. Your room is ready." Smiling, Parker signed the contract that the manager handed her. "Wonderful! Your room number is 608. If you use this bank of elevators…" Once the manager explained the location of the room and all of the amenities, Parker headed on her way.

Once in the room, she set her suitcase on the luggage stand and sent Randy a selfie from the balcony with the caption 'waiting for you'. _What to do…what to do…_ Looking around the room, she considered her options briefly. _Be wise, P. Get some work done. Get some ideas for the kitchen, the way Randy told you to. Swim in the pool. Take a nap. You've got lots of choices. _She opened her laptop and set it up on the desk. "Productivity first" she said to herself. "Rewards later." With this in mind, she sat at her computer for several hours, pausing only for a bathroom break and for a refill on her drink. Rereading her work, she stretched her arms over her head and smiled. "Coming along nicely. I think I'll beat this deadline." Checking the time, she closed the computer and headed down to the hotel restaurant for lunch. As soon as the waiter served her sandwich, her phone rang. "Hey, Randy. I assume I'm in the right place, since they had a reservation in my name."

She could hear the smile in his deep voice. "I told you everything would work out." He couldn't see Parker's small shrug. "Were Bray and Bo nice to you this morning?"

Parker paused and thought for a moment. "Oh, your friends who took me to the airport…Yes, they were very nice."

Randy gave a short laugh. "You have no idea who they are. I forgot. Bo was worried he'd said something wrong when he'd mentioned the ring-rats. He said you'd gotten quiet after asking a couple of pointed questions." Parker didn't respond. "Remember, we've talked about this. The first night, when we had dinner at your house – Chinese on the floor? Ring any bells?"

Sighing, Parker signaled the waiter for a box and the check. "I remember."

"Are you worried?" he pressed. The waiter was quick to reappear with her requested box and check. Parker handed him more than enough money to cover the bill and tip, dumped her sandwich in the box, and left the restaurant without answering Randy's question. Heading for the elevator, she heard Randy ask, "Are you still there?"

"I'm still here. I wasn't continuing this conversation while sitting in the hotel restaurant." The elevator doors opened and Parker was thankful to be alone in the metal box. "Yes, I remember the conversation. Even though I didn't know who you were, you told me you traveled for work. You told me that you'd had relationships end because of infidelity. You said you were looking for a woman who wanted **you**, the man. A woman who wanted to be with you, who understood you, who wanted to talk with you and to you, but who understood that sometimes you need to relish the solitude and quiet of being home together. You said that you were – quote – all in – enquote. You said that you were already done, finished, all-in, and exclusive with me. You were going to do everything in your power not to screw this up. You wanted to stay in my life." The elevator doors opened. Parker walked to her room and opened the doors, blinking back the unexpected tears. "I remember everything about that night." She sat on the small sofa in the room, with the food on the table in front of her. "That was the best date of my life." She wiped her eyes. "I do trust you, Randy. I believe that we can make this work. And I think you respect the fact that I'm not comfortable in front of cameras but I want to be with you."

Clearing his throat, Randy agreed. "We'll avoid the cameras. I get that. I want you around as much as possible." The gruffness in his voice betrayed the depth of his emotion. "I can't wait to see you tonight."

Parker smiled. "I'll be here. In the right city, in the right room."

"As soon as the show is over, I'm headed your way. While everyone else is checking in, I'm headed up to you. We're going to curl up together and…"

Cutting him off quickly, Parker blushed, "Nope. Still not having phone sex. No way, no how."

With a laugh, Randy said, "Not where I was going but, well, tonight we are but not on the phone." He shook his head. "I'm just looking forward to holding you and telling you face to face how much I've missed you. Then getting to show you how much I mean it, that they aren't empty words."

"I love you, Randy." Parker whispered.

"I love you, too. I'll see you tonight."

Once they hung up, Parker ate her sandwich and cleaned up her crumbs. She threw the box away in a trashcan down the hall so the room wouldn't smell. Returning to the room, she looked at the time as she stretched. _Maybe a nap is in order. I did catch a flight at 4:30 in the morning and Randy is going to get in late tonight. Somehow I think he's going to want to do a bit more than cuddle._ She giggled at the word cuddle. _Randy…cuddle…He's going to want make-up sex and you know it. Hot, hard, and heavy. Just the way WE like it._ With a smile on her face, Parker fell asleep.

* * *

Parker heard tapping on the door. _Two-thirty. He's got to be exhausted. _She looked through the peephole before opening the door enough for Randy to enter the room but keeping herself out of sight from the hallway. She watched Randy walk in and drop his bags on the floor, flinging off his t-shirt as he turned to back her against the closing door. He glanced down as he picked her up. "Lace?" he growled against her mouth as his tongue traced her upper lip. "You wore fucking lace?" He toed off his shoes as his hands braced her hips against the door. She wrapped her arms around his neck. With his shoes gone, Randy wrapped her legs around his chest so he could shove his pants down. He grasped the top of her nightie, freeing one side of her chest. "P…" he groaned before sucking hard on her now-bare breast as his fingers clawed through the free-flowing yards of lace billowing below. Finding the treasure he was seeking, Randy held her lower lips open. "P…" he groaned again as his tip touched her. "…how you greet me." He sank into her moist heat. "You are so freakin' perfect." He pulled out and thrust back in. The door shook. "I can't get enough of you." Grasping her hips, he began to pound into her; no sooner did he leave her body then he was right back inside. Parker clung to his neck, panting his name as she gasped for air. Giving up control, she screamed as her orgasm barreled through her body, pulling Randy right along with her. Dropping his head to her shoulder, he muttered, "I swear, Parker, I was gonna curl up with you and talk. I swear." Fisting the lace in his hands he shook his head without lifting from its resting place. "Then you opened the door wearing this."

Her breath ghosted across his cheek. "Making up with you…"

His stubbly chin rubbed against her neck and cheek. "P…" he growled. "Woman, we were never fighting. We covered that. So we had a little disagreement, we're going to have them." Remaining connected, he walked over to the bed and sat down, folding her legs behind his back. Caressing her back, he maintained space between their torsos. Cradling the back of her head, he gazed into her eyes as he spoke quietly. "I love you, Parker. We aren't always going to agree. Life would be boring if we did. I like the fire and passion that we have and that means that we are going to have disagreements. We just need to work through them." With a gentle tug, he reminded her that while they were having this conversation he was still buried deep inside her body. "Soooo…Talk to me."

With a squeak she repeated, "Talk to you? Like this?" She rocked her pelvis against his.

"Mmmm…" Strumming his long fingers against both of her rear cheeks, "Seem to remember someone referring to the love of my life 'some girl' and then saying she was 'so stupid'." He rocked his hips as he continued to strum his fingers. "No one is allowed to talk about my woman like that. Not without severe consequences." Parker gripped his biceps as she met his shining eyes.

"R-r-r-a-a-n-n…"

"Shhhh…" His breath ghosted across her face just before he captured her bottom lip between his teeth. Leaning closer, he rocked his hips as he kissed her gently. "I love you. That makes me possessive and protective. Get used to it."

"I love you. I missed you. I'm sorry I messed up…" Parker stopped herself with a kiss. "Smackdown. You are on Smackdown." She lifted a fraction and slipped back down gently. "You don't want a ring-rat. No pool boy is checking my lawn. We are all-in together."

Randy gripped her hips to hold her still as he glared into her eyes. "What 'pool boy'?"

Parker stuttered, "It was the conversation that…" Randy picked her up, spun her around, and positioned her on the bed on her hands and knees, kneeling behind her. Pressing over and behind her, he intertwined the fingers of their left hands together. Kissing the spot where her neck and shoulder meet, Parker felt Randy exhale and groan her name. _Possessive and protective…Randy is jealous over the thought of another man…I pushed him instead of reassuring him… _Trying to lean back, Parker found herself locked against a wall of muscle. "Randy…"

"Don't…Just don't fucking move." His right hand shoved the lace she was still wearing higher on her back before guiding his cock back home. His forehead propped at the top of her spine as he took a breath, held it, and released it hard. "Dammit, Parker. I told you…" He reached forward with his right hand so both of their hands would be intertwined. "Good Lord, woman. The thought… I can't take the thought…" His hips flexed. He kissed her backbone. His voice was harsh and gravely. "I need you. To…" Bracing her with his arms so she wouldn't move, Randy began to thrust harder and harder. "You are mine. Mine, dammit!" Letting go of her hands, he gripped her hips as he marked her body. Thrust, retreat, thrust, retreat, thrust, harder and harder… _I think he just hit my ovary._ Parker screamed his name. Randy held himself inside her body she **felt** blast after blast pump inside. His arms curled around her belly as they collapsed face-first onto the bed. "P…" His thumb rubbed against her sternum.

Parker adjusted the arm underneath her body so she was cushioned on his bicep. Feeling his lips against her shoulder blade, Parker whispered, "Shhh. It's late and we're good. You need sleep. Get your cuddles in now."

With a gentle kiss against her back, Randy whispered, "Just so we're clear, I love you and want you in my bed every night. We're taking care of the house stuff as soon as we get home. All-in. Today, tonight, forever."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed Parker and Randy's adventures. I've got a couple others that are in the works that will be coming when they are **done**. Yes, I know there are some up here that are still not finished. I hope to finish them as well. Fingers crossed!

Stay Healthy and Keep Reading!

Chelle


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